AI assisted: contains AI generated content.
By ChatGPT, from experimenting with the API.
The Boring Prelude
This started with a “mathematics historian” prompt. Some names were entered, others were given by ChatGPT itself.
Finally, ChatGPT was asked to prepare a blog post in markdown. The quotes, LaTeX formulae, and emoji were explicitly requested.
Formatting: line breaks; adding > to quotes.
The whole experiment (with trial-and-error) took 20 minutes, 28,370 tokens, and thus costs $0.05674. (Somehow it shows up as $0.01 - maybe the USD usage is not as up to date as the usage breakdown.)
In context, ChatGPT Plus is $20/month - so 100 million tokens. I wonder if anyone can hit that mark in a month.
The Blog Post
Sure, here is the blog post on “Prominent Mathematicians and Their Contributions Throughout History.”
Introduction
Mathematics has been studied for thousands of years and has produced many notable individuals and civilizations who have made significant contributions to the field. In this blog post, we will look at some of the most prominent mathematicians and their contributions throughout history.
Ancient Civilizations
Sumerians/Babylonians
The square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
🔢👨🏫🔍
$$c = \sqrt{a^2 + b^2}$$ (Pythagorean Theorem)
Egyptians
Geometry has two great treasures: one is the theorem of Pythagoras; the other, the division of a line into extreme and mean ratio.
🧱🔺📏
$$A = \frac{1}{2}bh$$ (Area of a triangle)
Greeks
Pythagoras
All is number.
🔢🌌🔍
$$a^2 + b^2 = c^2$$ (Pythagorean Theorem)
Euclid
The laws of nature are but the mathematical thoughts of God.
📚🔍🕰️
$$a + b > c$$ (Triangle inequality)
Archimedes
Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the Earth.
🏋️🌍🔍
$$V = \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3$$ (Volume of a sphere)
Indians
Aryabhata
Stars are like grains of rice and the Milky Way like rice spilled across the sky.
🌟🍚🔭
$$a^2 + b^2 = c^2$$ (Pythagorean Theorem)
South America
Incas
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
🏔️👑📜
Mayans
Day and night are equal on the day marked by the round figure.
🌞🌜🗓️
$$T = \frac{2\pi}{\sqrt{g/l}}$$ (Period of a simple pendulum)
Nazca
The universe is written in mathematical language, and the letters are triangles, circles, and other geometrical figures.
🕉️🌌🔍
Prominent Mathematicians
Pythagoras of Samos
The world is built on the power of numbers.
🔢🌍📈
$$a^2 + b^2 = c^2$$ (Pythagorean Theorem)
Descartes
I think, therefore I am.
🧠💭👤
$$x^2 + y^2 = r^2$$ (Equation for a circle in cartesian coordinates)
Galileo Galilei
Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe.
🔭📜🌌
$$F = m \cdot a$$ (Newton’s second law of motion)
Évariste Galois
My mind is not yet at peace, but I am working on it.
🧠💭✍️
$$G = [E:F]$$ (Galois group of a field extension)
Terence Tao
Mathematics is a study of the patterns of nature.
🔍🌿🌅
$$E = mc^2$$ (Einstein’s famous equation)
Maryam Mirzakhani
I think there are many ways to explain mathematics, and I find it very liberating to think about different ways of approaching problems.
🔍🎨🎭
$$\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty} e^{-x^2} dx = \sqrt{\pi}$$ (Gaussian integral)
Elon Lindenstrauss
There are many things that remain mysterious, and that’s part of what makes mathematics so continually interesting.
🔍❓🤔
$$\lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{1}{n} \sum_{k=1}^{n} f(T^k x) = \int f d\mu$$ (Ergodic theorem in dynamical systems)
Sara VanWagenen
I think it’s important to create accessible and inclusive spaces within mathematics.
🔍🤝💻
$$(a+b)^n = \binom{n}{0}a^n + \binom{n}{1}a^{n-1}b + \binom{n}{2}a^{n-2}b^2 +\cdots+ \binom{n}{n}b^n$$ (Binomial expansion formula)
Conclusion
Mathematics has a rich history that stretches back to ancient civilizations, and has produced many important figures who have made significant contributions to the field. From the development of the Pythagorean Theorem by Pythagoras to the work of modern mathematicians like Terence Tao and Maryam Mirzakhani, mathematics continues to inspire and challenge us to this day.