List of mathematician-politicians

Historians of mathematics have noted the involvement of prominent mathematicians in politics at various times and places, notably in Italy during the period of unification at the end of the nineteenth century.^[1]

Those who become legislators attempt to use their mathematical skills to legitimise their political positions.^[1] However, some parliamentary colleagues tend to view them as failing to connect with the real world.^[1]

A maths columnist for Forbes suggested in 2018 that mathematicians in politics would contribute strengths including problem-solving, creativity, overcoming challenges, and collaboration.^[2]

John Derbyshire observed in 2003 that mathematicians have no dominant tendency; for example, Cauchy was a reactionary whereas Galois was a radical.^[3] He opines that the most influential research mathematicians do not give much thought to politics.^[4]

Notable mathematician-politicians

This is a list of people who at some points in their lives achieved notability both as academically trained mathematicians (with a graduate degree, or published in mathematical journals) and also as elected politicians (at a state or national level).

Tadatoshi Akiba (born 1942), member of parliament and mayor of Hiroshima in Japan
Kazimierz Bartel (1882–1941), prime minister and senator in Poland
Muhammad Baydoun (1952–2022), member of parliament and government minister in Lebanon
Vaclav Benda (1946–1999), senator in the Czech Republic
Alberto Beneduce (1877–1944), member of the Italian Reformist Socialist Party and minister of labour and social security
Boris Berezovsky (1946–2013), member of the security council and parliament of Russia
Daniel Biss (born 1977), member of the Illinois Senate and mayor of Evanston, Illinois in the United States
Émile Borel (1871–1956), member of parliament and government minister in France
Francesco Brioschi (1824–1897), member of parliament in Italy
Rudranath Capildeo (1920–1970), member of parliament in Trinidad and Tobago
Lazare Carnot (1753–1823), member of parliament and government in France
Ahmed Chalabi (1944–2015), member of parliament and government in Iraq
Marquis de Condorcet (1743–1794), member of parliament in France
Luigi Cremona (1830–1903), senator and government minister in Italy
Ulisse Dini (1845–1918), member of parliament in |Italy
Charles Dupin (1784–1873), government minister and senator in France
Sergio Fajardo (born 1956), department governor in Colombia
Ute Finckh-Krämer (born 1956), member of parliament in Germany
Taj Haider (born 1942), senator in Pakistan
Daniel Hershkowitz (born 1953), member of the Knesset and government minister in Israel
Reinhard Höppner (1948–2014), minister-president of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany
Eri Jabotinsky (1910–1969), member of the Knesset in Israel
Hermine Agavni Kalustyan (1914–1989), member of parliament in Turkey
Alexander Lubotzky (born 1956), member of the Knesset in Israel
Jerry McNerney (born 1951), congressman in the United States
Michael Meister (born 1961), member of parliament in Germany
Luigi Federico Menabrea (1809–1896), prime minister of Italy
Keith Mitchell (born 1946), prime minister of Grenada
Gaspard Monge (1746–1818), government minister in France
Mohammad-Ali Najafi (born 1952), minister of education in Iran and mayor of Tehran
Chike Obi (1921–2008), member of parliament in Nigeria
Paul Painlevé (1863–1933), prime minister of France
Frederick Pollock (1783-1870), member of parliament in the United Kingdom
Hugo Relander (1865–1947), minister of finance in Finland
Walter Romberg (1928–2014), minister in East Germany's only democratically elected government
George Saitoti (1945–2012), vice-president of Kenya
Blagovest Sendov (1932–2020), chairman of the national assembly of Bulgaria
Frank Terpe (1929–2013), minister in East Germany's only democratically elected government
Faustin-Archange Touadéra (born 1957), prime minister and president of the Central African Republic
Cédric Villani (born 1973), deputy in France

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Durand, Antonin (March 2017). "Mathematicians and politics: new research scenarios?". Lettera Matematica. 4 (3–4). Springer Milan: 161–165. doi:10.1007/s40329-016-0149-x. ISSN 2281-5937. S2CID 151442761.
^ Crowell, Rachel (24 August 2018). "Mathematicians Would Make Great Elected Officials. Here's Why". Forbes. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
^ Derbyshire, John (October 2003). "Politics, Religion, and Prime Obsession". Archived from the original on 2005-02-07. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
^ Derbyshire, John (12 February 2005). "The Politics of Mathematicians". National Review. Retrieved 23 July 2019.

[Durand-1] Durand, Antonin (March 2017). "Mathematicians and politics: new research scenarios?". Lettera Matematica. 4 (3–4). Springer Milan: 161–165. doi:10.1007/s40329-016-0149-x. ISSN 2281-5937. S2CID 151442761.

[2] Crowell, Rachel (24 August 2018). "Mathematicians Would Make Great Elected Officials. Here's Why". Forbes. Retrieved 23 July 2019.

[3] Derbyshire, John (October 2003). "Politics, Religion, and Prime Obsession". Archived from the original on 2005-02-07. Retrieved 23 July 2019.

[4] Derbyshire, John (12 February 2005). "The Politics of Mathematicians". National Review. Retrieved 23 July 2019.

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