From Euclid to Terence Tao, the mathematical minds whose theorems and proofs still shape the way we understand reality.
60 GeniusesMathematics is the language in which the universe is written, and across 2,500 years a small handful of geniuses have done the writing. This list ranks the most important mathematicians in history by IQ, lasting impact, and the depth of the problems they solved.
Some made their mark with a single proof — Andrew Wiles on Fermat's Last Theorem, Grigori Perelman on the Poincaré Conjecture. Others reshaped entire fields: Gauss, Euler, Newton, Riemann. All earned a place in the canon.
Most historians of mathematics rank Carl Friedrich Gauss, Leonhard Euler, Isaac Newton, and Archimedes among the top four. Each transformed multiple branches of mathematics.
Einstein's IQ is estimated around 160. He revolutionized physics with general and special relativity but considered himself foremost a physicist who used mathematics, not a pure mathematician.
Terence Tao, with an estimated IQ of 230, is widely regarded as the highest-IQ working mathematician. He won the Fields Medal at age 31.
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