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

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.