Mathematicians Of The Day

5th October



On this day in 1750Maria Agnesi received a response from Pope Benedict XIV on the publication of her book, Instituzioni Analitiche. The pope sent her a gold medal, a wreath laid with precious stones and named her honorary professor at the University of Bologna.

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Quotation of the day

From Israil Gelfand
If you ask a drunkard what number is larger, 2/3 or 3/5, he might not be able to tell you. But if you rephrase the question: What is better, 2 bottles of vodka for 3 people, or 3 bottles of vodka for 5 people, he will tell you right away.
From Love and Math, by Edward Frenkel