Bernhard Riemann
1826–1866 · German · Romantic Era
Known for: Revolutionized geometry with Riemannian geometry and posed the Riemann Hypothesis
Bernhard Riemann was shy, sickly, and one of the most original mathematicians in history. His 1854 lecture on geometry opened entirely new mathematical worlds. Riemannian geometry later became the mathematical language of Einstein's general relativity.
His hypothesis about the distribution of prime numbers remains the most famous unsolved problem in mathematics, carrying a $1 million Clay Millennium Prize. He died of tuberculosis at 39.
Browse all 1,000 figures by category
Enable JavaScript to view the full "if they lived today" Q&A and personality profile.