Esquisse d'un Programme

Esquisse d'un Programme was some mathematical proposal written by Alexander Grothendieck. According to Wikipedia, Alexander Grothendieck was one of the most famous mathematicians of the 20th century. I have never heard of him.

Famous 20th-century mathematicians aren't as famous as other famous 20th-century people, like movie stars and basketball players. Note that this reverses as you travel backward through time: I can name more 20th-century basketball players than 20th-century mathematicians, but I can't name a single Ancient Greek basketball player.


My favorite 20th-century mathematician.
Photo: tifotter via Flickr (CC)