Mamikon A. Mnatsakanian (1942-2021) ( hy, Մամիկոն Մնացականյան) was an Armenian physicist. In 1959, he discovered a new proof of the

Pythagorean theorem In mathematics, the Pythagorean theorem or Pythagoras' theorem is a fundamental relation in Euclidean geometry between the three sides of a right triangle. It states that the area of the square whose side is the hypotenuse (the side opposite t ...

. He received a Ph.D. in physics in 1969 from

Yerevan State University Yerevan State University (YSU; hy, Երևանի Պետական Համալսարան, ԵՊՀ, ''Yerevani Petakan Hamalsaran''), also simply University of Yerevan, is the oldest continuously operating public university in Armenia. Founded in 1919 ...

, where he became professor of astrophysics. As an undergraduate he specialized in the development of geometric methods for solving calculus problems by a visual approach that makes no use of formulas, which he later developed into his system of

visual calculus Visual calculus, invented by Mamikon Mnatsakanian (known as Mamikon), is an approach to solving a variety of integral calculus problems. Many problems that would otherwise seem quite difficult yield to the method with hardly a line of calculatio ...

. He was a Project Associate at

Project Mathematics! ''Project Mathematics!'' (stylized as ''Project MATHEMATICS!''), is a series of educational video modules and accompanying workbooks for teachers, developed at the California Institute of Technology to help teach basic principles of mathematics to ...

at the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

With co-author Tom Apostol, he won the

Mathematical Association of America The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) is a professional society that focuses on mathematics accessible at the undergraduate level. Members include university, college, and high school teachers; graduate and undergraduate students; pure a ...

's award in 2005, 2008, and 2010. When Apostol met Mamikon he wrote, "As a teacher of calculus for more than 50 years and as an author of a couple of textbooks on the subject, I was stunned to learn that many standard problems in calculus can be easily solved by an innovative visual approach that makes no use of formulas." In 2010, he was nominated by Caltech for the Ambartsumians International Prize, awarded annually by the

President of Armenia The president of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Նախագահ, Hayastani Nakhagah) is the head of state and the guarantor of independence and territorial integrity of Armenia elected to a single seven-year term by the National Assembly of Arme ...

, for his contributions in the field of

theoretical astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the hea ...

. The book, New Horizons in Geometry, the result of 15 years of collaboration between Tom Apostol and Mamikon, has been praised for its originality and clarity.

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External links

*http://www.its.caltech.edu/~mamikon/calculus.html (Visual Calculus) Living people California Institute of Technology faculty 20th-century Armenian mathematicians Yerevan State University alumni Armenian expatriates in the United States Academic staff of Yerevan State University 1942 births {{mathematician-stub

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