Faces of Mathematics

Sudenur S.- Burçin Serttaş- Aşağıkaraman Secondary School

📘 Mustafa Kemal Atatürk – A Leader Who Gave Language to Geometry

📍 20th century | Türkiye

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was not only a revolutionary leader but also a pioneer of education and rational thought. During the winter of 1936–1937, he personally authored a Geometry book by hand, introducing a new set of Turkish mathematical terms. Words like “açıortay” (angle bisector), “teğet” (tangent), and “türev” (derivative) entered the language thanks to his suggestions. For Atatürk, making science accessible in the native tongue was not just educational reform—it was a declaration of intellectual independence.

Ela D.- Ayşen İzdaş- Şehbal Baydur Secondary School

📏 Thales – The Wise Man Who Laid Geometry’s First Stone

📍 6th century BCE | Miletus (Modern-day Aydın, Türkiye)

Thales is considered one of the first thinkers to apply mathematics as a structured tool to understand natural phenomena. He is credited with introducing logical proof into geometry. Thales’s Theorem, stating that an angle inscribed in a semicircle is a right angle, remains a staple of basic geometry. Legend says he measured the height of pyramids using their shadows. Bridging philosophy, astronomy, and mathematics, Thales is regarded as a founder of scientific reasoning in Western thought.

Tripa T.- Cosmin Velimirovice - Şcoala Gimnazială „Avram Iancu” Oradea

♀️ Emmy Noether – The Quiet Power Behind Modern Mathematics

📍 20th century | Germany

Emmy Noether is regarded as one of the most influential mathematicians in modern history, known for her groundbreaking work in abstract algebra and theoretical physics. Her Noether’s Theorem revealed the deep connection between symmetry and conservation laws, shaping modern physics. Her contributions to ring theory, group theory, and algebraic structures laid the groundwork for much of today’s mathematics. Despite facing significant barriers as a woman in academia, she persevered with brilliance, becoming a symbol of intellectual freedom and mathematical vision.

Ahmet B.- Ayşen İzdaş- Şehbal Baydur Secondary School

💻 Alan Turing – The Genius Who Questioned the Limits of Mind and Machine

📍 20th century | United Kingdom

Alan Turing is one of the founding figures of modern computer science and a pioneer in the concept of artificial intelligence. His 1936 invention, the Turing Machine, became a theoretical foundation for what machines can and cannot compute. During World War II, he famously helped crack the German Enigma code, altering the course of history. His work not only accelerated the rise of the digital age but also sparked enduring philosophical questions about human thought and machine intelligence. A quiet genius, Turing laid the groundwork for the world we live in today.

Lele N.- Roxana Voicu - Şcoala Gimnazială „Avram Iancu” Oradea

🔺 René Descartes – The Philosopher Who Mapped Thought into Space

📍 17th century | France

René Descartes was not only a mathematician but also a philosopher who helped lay the foundations of rationalism and modern science. One of his most influential contributions to mathematics was the development of analytic geometry, which bridges algebra and geometry. The Cartesian coordinate system, still used today, is named after him. Though best known for his phrase "I think, therefore I am," his ability to translate thought into structure made him a cornerstone of the scientific revolution.

Ufuk A.- Ayşen İzdaş- Şehbal Baydur Secondary School

📐 Pythagoras – The Philosopher Who Sought Harmony in Numbers

📍 6th century BCE | Island of Samos

Pythagoras was among the first to view mathematics not merely as a tool for calculation, but as a philosophical lens through which to understand the universe. The Pythagorean Theorem, which bears his name, became a cornerstone of geometry and number theory. Fascinated by the harmony of numbers, he explored mathematical patterns in music, astronomy, and nature. Pythagoreanism was more than a scientific method—it was also a way of life rooted in ethics and spiritual inquiry.

Masal B.- Ayşen İzdaş- Şehbal Baydur Secondary School

Al-Biruni – A Master Observer Who Expanded the Horizon of Knowledge

📍 11th century | Khwarazm (Modern-day Uzbekistan)

Al-Biruni was a polymath whose work in mathematics, astronomy, geography, and physics far surpassed the boundaries of his time. He made pioneering contributions—from calculating the Earth's circumference to advancing trigonometric methods and proposing ideas related to gravity. Deeply committed to observation-based knowledge, he also engaged in intercultural scientific exchange during his travels to India. His rigorous and empirical approach places him among the early forerunners of the modern scientific method.

Cozma L.- Roxana Voicu - Şcoala Gimnazială „Avram Iancu” Oradea

🧠 Blaise Pascal – The Philosophical Path of Mathematics

📍 17th century | France

Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher who laid the foundations of mathematical thought. Displaying extraordinary mathematical talents from a young age, he made significant contributions to probability theory, hydrodynamics, and geometry. His most famous work, Pensées (Thoughts), fused mathematical reasoning with philosophy, and he is also renowned for establishing the fundamentals of probability theory. His discovery of Pascal's Triangle remains a crucial element in mathematical calculations and number theory.

Righel I.- Roxana Voicu - Şcoala Gimnazială „Avram Iancu” Oradea

🧮 David Hilbert – The Mind That Framed and Challenged the Limits of Mathematics

📍 19th–20th century | Germany

David Hilbert was a German mathematician whose theoretical frameworks helped shape the structure of modern mathematics. His famous list of 23 problems, presented in 1900, set the agenda for 20th-century mathematical research. With groundbreaking work in algebra, geometry, logic, and formal systems, Hilbert championed the belief that “what can be known, can be known mathematically.” He was not only a question-asker but also a boundary-setter, charting the outer edges of human understanding through mathematics.

Elif Z.- Ayşen İzdaş-Şehbal Baydur Secondary School

🧩 Cahit Arf – A Thinker Who Sought to Understand, Not Just Solve

📍 20th century | Türkiye

Cahit Arf was a mathematician who didn’t merely aim to solve problems—he strived to understand their essence. He made lasting contributions to abstract algebra and topology through concepts like the Arf invariant and Arf rings. Educated in Paris and Göttingen, he returned to Turkey to inspire scientific growth and mentor young scholars. Known for his clarity of thought and love for simplicity, Arf became a foundational figure in modern Turkish mathematics—valuing ideas over status, and understanding over memorization.

Cozma L.- Cosmin Velimirovici- Şcoala Gimnazială „Avram Iancu” Oradea

♾️ Isaac Newton & Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz – Two Minds at the Edge of Infinity

📍 17th century | England & Germany

Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz independently developed calculus, sparking one of the most famous disputes in the history of mathematics. Despite the controversy, both thinkers are foundational to the evolution of mathematical thought. Newton approached it through the lens of physics and motion, while Leibniz introduced elegant notation and a more abstract, symbolic system that shaped the language of modern mathematics. Two paths, two styles—one gateway to infinity.

Nisanur Ö.- Burçin Serttaş- Aşağı Karaman Secondary School

🔢 Al-Khwarizmi – The Architect of Algebra

📍 9th century | Baghdad

Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was a pioneering scholar who laid the groundwork for modern algebra. His most influential book, The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing, gave rise to the term "algebra" and offered a systematic approach to solving equations. His contributions extended beyond mathematics to fields such as astronomy, geography, and computation. Translated into Latin, his works became foundational texts in medieval Europe, and his name inspired the word “algorithm.”

Mert K.- Nevzat Deniz Barbaros Secondary School 

🌠 Omar Khayyam – Poet of Numbers and the Stars
📍 11th century | Persia (present-day Iran)

Omar Khayyam was a brilliant mathematician, astronomer, and poet who lived during the Islamic Golden Age. He revolutionized algebra by classifying and solving cubic equations using geometric methods—a major leap beyond the methods of his time. As the lead mind behind a major calendar reform, he created one of the most accurate solar calendars in history. Yet Khayyam was more than a scientist; his Rubaiyat verses reflect a philosophical depth that explores existence, time, and knowledge. Bridging reason and reflection, Khayyam remains a timeless symbol of harmony between science and poetry.

Niyazi Kaan Ö.- Nevzat Deniz Barbaros Secondary School 

🌌 Al-Farabi – The Philosopher of Logic and Harmony
📍 9th–10th century | Persia (present-day Kazakhstan)

Al-Farabi was a pioneering thinker who merged philosophy, logic, mathematics, and music into a unified vision of knowledge. Deeply influenced by Greek philosophers like Aristotle and Plato, he developed original ideas on logic, classification of sciences, and metaphysics. Farabi also explored mathematical principles in music, seeking the harmony between numbers and sound. Often called "The Second Teacher" after Aristotle, he believed that reason and intellect were the highest paths to understanding the universe. His work shaped Islamic philosophy and laid early foundations for scientific thought in the medieval world.

Salih G.- Nevzat Deniz Barbaros Secondary School 

🔢 Al-Khwarizmi – The Architect of Algebra

📍 9th century | Baghdad

Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi was a pioneering scholar who laid the groundwork for modern algebra. His most influential book, The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing, gave rise to the term "algebra" and offered a systematic approach to solving equations. His contributions extended beyond mathematics to fields such as astronomy, geography, and computation. Translated into Latin, his works became foundational texts in medieval Europe, and his name inspired the word “algorithm.”

Mert K.- Nevzat Deniz Barbaros Secondary School 

🌠 Ali Qushji – The Sky Scholar of Samarkand
📍 15th century | Timurid Empire (present-day Uzbekistan & Türkiye)

Ali Qushji was a renowned astronomer, mathematician, and physicist who advanced scientific thinking in the Islamic world. A student of the legendary Ulugh Beg, he played a major role in completing the famous star catalog of the Samarkand observatory. Later, in the Ottoman Empire, he introduced mathematical reasoning into astronomy, challenging the pure philosophical models of the cosmos. His works bridged observational precision with theoretical insight, and he contributed to linguistics and theology as well. Ali Qushji’s legacy shines where the sky meets logic—where numbers help explain the universe.