To ask for your help to identify this guy

[WhitePhantom]

This is cracking me up - long shot that you can help based on so little info but might as well ask!

I remember reading about a brilliant mathematician whose father was a carpenter (I think - some kind of trade anyway). He loved maths, studied it all the time, taught himself all sorts of maths and went on to do great things.

That's it! I can't remember any more. Like I said, very long shot, but if you know who I'm talking about please tell me!! 😊

John Nash?

Feynman ?

Srinivasa Ramanujan? (I don’t think he matches the description of the father though...)

Is he alive now?

James Watt's father was a carpenter.

None of those, but thanks anyway I don't know if he's still alive - I don't think so. I think it's someone from years ago.

God this is killing me! I was fascinated with the story, and now can't even remember who it was about 😭

Oliver Heaviside’s father was a wood engraver.

George boon?

Sorry George boole

Carl gauss

Albert Edward Ingham, his father was indeed a craftsman.

Thomas Tate.

John Crank? Thomas Wright? John Harrison? Sir John Leslie? They all seem to have carpenter fathers.

I'm assuming this isn't a joke where the answer is Jesus of course!

I think you might mean George Boole? I love his thesis on logic and mathematics. Laws of Thought is one of the best things mankind has produced.

Gauss?

Johnny Ball

Try the MacTutor History of Mathematics archive (which is a very fine thing).

www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk

Putting "carpenter" in search gives quite a list of names.

In fact, William Whewell leaps out of that list.

www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Whewell.html

He coined a lot of the words we use today – including "scientist". Previously, what we'd call "science" was known as "natural philosophy".

Surely you're joking, Processedpea? I don't think it's me...

trying to work out if Jesus was good at maths 😉

Sorry, I’ll get my coat.

Jesus wasn't good at maths, he made 5+2= much more than 7 (fish and loaves).
Sorry

redredrobins

Jesus wasn't good at maths, he made 5+2= much more than 7 (fish and loaves).

Who cares,he made water in to wine.Much handier and a better skill

Oh my god @Mokapot - it's George Boole!! Thank you so much! And thanks everyone else who gave me names 😊

I love the Jesus idea 😅 but no, he wasn't much good at maths, was he?!