Mathematical Genius: Who Are Humanity's Current Mathematical Geniuses?

[brewer]

Kernel Sohcahtoa?

Am I close?

Not sure if you're complimenting him or accusing him of being arrogant.

Neither, just having a bit o fun.

[CapnAwesome]

I'm curious if anyone knows who today's greatest mathematicians are, or in your opinion, who are humanity's greatest mathematicians?  Do you think that any of them are on par with Gauss, Euler, Newton, Leibniz, and any other historical geniuses who greatly contributed to mathematics?  Also, how do you define mathematical genius, and in your opinion, is mathematical genius a rarity these days?

I don't know who the current math geniuses are, BUT I'd wager they are probably smarter than Newton et al. I think we overrate the geniuses of the past. There are more people and more mathamatical competitive today. The field of people doing math is astronomically larger than in the past. So it only stand to reason that you are going to have more and better Geniuses drawn from that field.

[Fireball]

I'm curious if anyone knows who today's greatest mathematicians are, or in your opinion, who are humanity's greatest mathematicians?  Do you think that any of them are on par with Gauss, Euler, Newton, Leibniz, and any other historical geniuses who greatly contributed to mathematics?  Also, how do you define mathematical genius, and in your opinion, is mathematical genius a rarity these days?

I don't know who the current math geniuses are, BUT I'd wager they are probably smarter than Newton et al. I think we overrate the geniuses of the past. There are more people and more mathamatical competitive today. The field of people doing math is astronomically larger than in the past. So it only stand to reason that you are going to have more and better Geniuses drawn from that field.

There is a lot more information available to modern people than there was in the past. "We stand on the shoulders of giants", as Newton said. I remember in my junior-level university electromagnetic theory class, a lot of us had trouble with one (well, more than one, believe me!) homework problem. When questions came up about it, I recall that the prof said, "That was <don't remember the name's> master's thesis. 50 years after the fact, a physicist's master's thesis is now a homework problem for university juniors. The shoulders of giants, indeed. I'm certain I'm no smarter than that physicist was, but I got his methodology far less painfully than he did.

[Kernel Sohcahtoa]

Not sure if you're complimenting him or accusing him of being arrogant.

Neither, just having a bit o fun.

Thanks for the clarification.  I can't even begin to imagine/understand what it must be like to be mathematically gifted and to come up with original theories/ideas that shift human thought.  I can assure anybody on these boards that such talent and capability is far beyond my limited abilities; however, I certainly am appreciative of individuals who are gifted in this way.

Also, thanks for all of the posts to this thread so far. Live long and prosper AF forum members and anyone else.