which includes the study of curves as related to POLYNOMIALs.
Mori won the prestigious Fields Medal in 1990 for work he did
over a period of 12 years, finding SOLUTIONs that many felt
were unattainable. Other awards include the Cole Prize in
Algebra from the American Mathematical Society, also in
1990, the Japan Mathematical Society’s Yanaga Prize, and the
Chunichi Culture Prize.Müller, Johann SeeREGIOMONTANUS.
Napier, John (Jhone Neper, Jhone Napare)(1550–1617) The Scot
known for his religious convictions and his book Plaine
Discovery of the Whole Revelation of St. John,Napier spent
most of his time in politics and religious controversies, studying
mathematics only as a hobby. He began his higher education at
St. Andrews University at the age of 13. Napier is most famous
as the inventor of LOGARITHMs, which he completed over many
years in his spare time. He also introduced the idea of DECIMAL
notation for FRACTIONs. In 1617 he invented a system for
multiplying and dividing using numbering rods, which were
ivory sticks marked with numbers that, when placed next to each
other, showed the PRODUCTor QUOTIENT. Because the ivory
sticks resembled bones, they were dubbed Napier’s bones. He
elaborated on the rods and invented two more for determining
SQUAREand CUBEROOTs. During his lifetime, because of his
unique ways of thinking and his eccentric behavior, many
thought he was a warlock in league with the devil.Newton, Sir Isaac(1642–1727)A British mathematician and scientist,
Newton survived an unhappy and uneducated childhood to
become one of the most famous scientists of all time, and the
bulk of his most brilliant work took place during an unlikely two-
year period in his early twenties. Newton’s illiterate and
uneducated, but wealthy, father died before Newton was born,
and the child was shuffled between relatives until the age of 10,
when he started elementary school. Due to an obvious lack of
any ability, he was pulled out of school shortly after he started,
and was finally allowed to go back again at the age of 13, at
which point he was sent to live with the school’s headmaster.
Newton enjoyed his studies so much this time around that he
actually felt it was a sin. Unlike many of his contemporaries, for
example GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ, Newton did not startBIOGRAPHIES Müller – Newton
BIOGRAPHIES Müller – Newton