Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Württemberg, Germany. His birthdate, written as 3,14 gives the first three digits of pi, perhaps portending his emergence as the quintessential mathematical physicist of the 20th century. His genius is well-characterized by Schopenhauer’s statement, “Talent hits a target no one else can hit: genius hits a target no one else can see.”
Einstein’s celebrity derived from his supreme intellect and his ability to transcend the consensus in pursuit of new paradigms in the formulations of physics. Undaunted by harsh criticism of his revolutionary ideas, while remaining open to challenges of his theories, he struggled to learn the mathematics he needed to formulate his concepts. His love-hate relationship with mathematics is captured in two of his famous quotes.
How can it be that mathematics, being after all a product of human thought which is independent of experience, is so admirably appropriate to the objects of reality? Is human reason, then, without experience, merely by taking thought, able to fathom the properties of real things? and later … Since the mathematicians have invaded the theory of relativity, I do not understand it myself anymore.
For a more detailed outline of Einstein’s achievements, visit: https://www.intelligence-and-iq.com/einstein-was-born-143-years-ago-why-does-he-remain-the-icon-for-genius/
