MATHEMATICIAN
René Thom
1923 - 2002
![Photo of René Thom](/images/profile/people/61633.jpg)
René Thom
René Frédéric Thom (French: [ʁəne tɔm]; 2 September 1923 – 25 October 2002) was a French mathematician, who received the Fields Medal in 1958. He made his reputation as a topologist, moving on to aspects of what would be called singularity theory; he became world-famous among the wider academic community and the educated general public for one aspect of this latter interest, his work as founder of catastrophe theory (later developed by Christopher Zeeman). Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of René Thom has received more than 203,331 page views. His biography is available in 41 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 39 in 2019). René Thom is the 168th most popular mathematician (up from 172nd in 2019), the 1,196th most popular biography from France (up from 1,229th in 2019) and the 34th most popular French Mathematician.
René Thom is most famous for his work in catastrophe theory. He created a mathematical model to describe the evolution of complex systems.
Memorability Metrics
200k
Page Views (PV)
61.33
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
41
Languages Editions (L)
8.87
Effective Languages (L*)
2.69
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among MATHEMATICIANS
Among mathematicians, René Thom ranks 168 out of 1,004. Before him are Alonzo Church, André Weil, James Joseph Sylvester, Pierre Bouguer, George Pólya, and Felix Hausdorff. After him are Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre, Aleksandr Lyapunov, Camille Jordan, Gösta Mittag-Leffler, Marcel Grossmann, and Jost Bürgi.
Most Popular Mathematicians in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsAlonzo Church
1903 - 1995
HPI: 61.60
Rank: 162
André Weil
1906 - 1998
HPI: 61.56
Rank: 163
James Joseph Sylvester
1814 - 1897
HPI: 61.54
Rank: 164
Pierre Bouguer
1698 - 1758
HPI: 61.48
Rank: 165
George Pólya
1887 - 1985
HPI: 61.39
Rank: 166
Felix Hausdorff
1868 - 1942
HPI: 61.36
Rank: 167
René Thom
1923 - 2002
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 168
Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre
1749 - 1822
HPI: 61.28
Rank: 169
Aleksandr Lyapunov
1857 - 1918
HPI: 61.25
Rank: 170
Camille Jordan
1838 - 1922
HPI: 61.19
Rank: 171
Gösta Mittag-Leffler
1846 - 1927
HPI: 61.15
Rank: 172
Marcel Grossmann
1878 - 1936
HPI: 61.10
Rank: 173
Jost Bürgi
1552 - 1632
HPI: 61.06
Rank: 174
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1923, René Thom ranks 47. Before him are Alice Miller, Mauno Koivisto, Erland Josephson, Edgar F. Codd, Shūsaku Endō, and Glynis Johns. After him are Aristides Pereira, Walter Kohn, Queen Anne of Romania, Norman Mailer, Linda Christian, and Stephanie Kwolek. Among people deceased in 2002, René Thom ranks 43. Before him are Hildegard Knef, Ne Win, Song Hye-rim, Aileen Wuornos, Zizinho, and Raf Vallone. After him are Max Perutz, Xi Zhongxun, Victor Weisskopf, María Félix, Sigvard Bernadotte, and Yoshio Okada.
Others Born in 1923
Go to all RankingsAlice Miller
PSYCHOLOGIST
1923 - 2010
HPI: 62.29
Rank: 41
Mauno Koivisto
POLITICIAN
1923 - 2017
HPI: 62.12
Rank: 42
Erland Josephson
ACTOR
1923 - 2012
HPI: 62.00
Rank: 43
Edgar F. Codd
COMPUTER SCIENTIST
1923 - 2003
HPI: 61.94
Rank: 44
Shūsaku Endō
WRITER
1923 - 1996
HPI: 61.56
Rank: 45
Glynis Johns
ACTOR
1923 - 2024
HPI: 61.38
Rank: 46
René Thom
MATHEMATICIAN
1923 - 2002
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 47
Aristides Pereira
POLITICIAN
1923 - 2011
HPI: 61.32
Rank: 48
Walter Kohn
PHYSICIST
1923 - 2016
HPI: 60.99
Rank: 49
Queen Anne of Romania
COMPANION
1923 - 2016
HPI: 60.90
Rank: 50
Norman Mailer
WRITER
1923 - 2007
HPI: 60.87
Rank: 51
Linda Christian
ACTOR
1923 - 2011
HPI: 60.79
Rank: 52
Stephanie Kwolek
CHEMIST
1923 - 2014
HPI: 60.68
Rank: 53
Others Deceased in 2002
Go to all RankingsHildegard Knef
ACTOR
1925 - 2002
HPI: 62.49
Rank: 37
Ne Win
POLITICIAN
1910 - 2002
HPI: 61.65
Rank: 38
Song Hye-rim
ACTOR
1937 - 2002
HPI: 61.59
Rank: 39
Aileen Wuornos
EXTREMIST
1956 - 2002
HPI: 61.44
Rank: 40
Zizinho
SOCCER PLAYER
1921 - 2002
HPI: 61.35
Rank: 41
Raf Vallone
ACTOR
1916 - 2002
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 42
René Thom
MATHEMATICIAN
1923 - 2002
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 43
Max Perutz
CHEMIST
1914 - 2002
HPI: 61.31
Rank: 44
Xi Zhongxun
POLITICIAN
1913 - 2002
HPI: 61.15
Rank: 45
Victor Weisskopf
PHYSICIST
1908 - 2002
HPI: 61.09
Rank: 46
María Félix
ACTOR
1914 - 2002
HPI: 60.89
Rank: 47
Sigvard Bernadotte
POLITICIAN
1907 - 2002
HPI: 60.74
Rank: 48
Yoshio Okada
SOCCER PLAYER
1926 - 2002
HPI: 60.67
Rank: 49
In France
Among people born in France, René Thom ranks 1,196 out of 6,770. Before him are Édouard Vuillard (1868), Philip I, Duke of Burgundy (1346), Thomas, Count of Savoy (1178), François Cluzet (1955), Charibert II (618), and Marie Laurencin (1883). After him are Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma (1930), Louis Jacques Thénard (1777), Jean Todt (1946), Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam (1838), Alain de Benoist (1943), and Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre (1749).
Others born in France
Go to all RankingsÉdouard Vuillard
PAINTER
1868 - 1940
HPI: 61.36
Rank: 1,190
Philip I, Duke of Burgundy
POLITICIAN
1346 - 1361
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 1,191
Thomas, Count of Savoy
NOBLEMAN
1178 - 1233
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 1,192
François Cluzet
ACTOR
1955 - Present
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 1,193
Charibert II
POLITICIAN
618 - 632
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 1,194
Marie Laurencin
PAINTER
1883 - 1956
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 1,195
René Thom
MATHEMATICIAN
1923 - 2002
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 1,196
Carlos Hugo, Duke of Parma
POLITICIAN
1930 - 2010
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 1,197
Louis Jacques Thénard
CHEMIST
1777 - 1857
HPI: 61.32
Rank: 1,198
Jean Todt
RACING DRIVER
1946 - Present
HPI: 61.32
Rank: 1,199
Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam
WRITER
1838 - 1889
HPI: 61.31
Rank: 1,200
Alain de Benoist
PHILOSOPHER
1943 - Present
HPI: 61.29
Rank: 1,201
Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre
MATHEMATICIAN
1749 - 1822
HPI: 61.28
Rank: 1,202
Among MATHEMATICIANS In France
Among mathematicians born in France, René Thom ranks 34. Before him are Émile Borel (1871), Henri Lebesgue (1875), Joseph Liouville (1809), Michel Rolle (1652), André Weil (1906), and Pierre Bouguer (1698). After him are Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre (1749), Camille Jordan (1838), Jean-Pierre Serre (1926), Édouard Lucas (1842), Jean Gaston Darboux (1842), and Gabriel Lamé (1795).
Émile Borel
1871 - 1956
HPI: 62.40
Rank: 28
Henri Lebesgue
1875 - 1941
HPI: 62.39
Rank: 29
Joseph Liouville
1809 - 1882
HPI: 62.24
Rank: 30
Michel Rolle
1652 - 1719
HPI: 62.15
Rank: 31
André Weil
1906 - 1998
HPI: 61.56
Rank: 32
Pierre Bouguer
1698 - 1758
HPI: 61.48
Rank: 33
René Thom
1923 - 2002
HPI: 61.33
Rank: 34
Jean Baptiste Joseph Delambre
1749 - 1822
HPI: 61.28
Rank: 35
Camille Jordan
1838 - 1922
HPI: 61.19
Rank: 36
Jean-Pierre Serre
1926 - Present
HPI: 60.97
Rank: 37
Édouard Lucas
1842 - 1891
HPI: 60.89
Rank: 38
Jean Gaston Darboux
1842 - 1917
HPI: 60.55
Rank: 39
Gabriel Lamé
1795 - 1870
HPI: 60.42
Rank: 40