Stereotypes are perversive in most diverse societies, such as in the U.S., with the common ones being gender and racial. Math is among the subjects often only taught in a very Eurocentric version – where all the famous mathematicians learned about are white males. Such ideas give a false impression that other groups perform poorly in math. However, that is not the case as there are other great mathematicians who are black, Hispanic, Asian, women, transgender, LGBTQ, and disabled. Despite all these different types of mathematicians, the most famous are white males. Portraying a specific group only as the best in computation is problematic since it promotes extreme underrepresentation of other marginalized groups of people in the field. As a result, many individuals that are not white males feel alienated by the mathematics community. In-depth research and analysis indicate the availability of great mathematicians from various groups that are often perceived as minorities in the world of math.
The contribution of individuals with disabilities corrects the perversive Eurocentric view of mathematics. For instance, Stephen Hawking was a theoretical physicist diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This rare motor neuron disease progressively decays an individual’s nerve cells, causing a loss of motor control (Science ABC, 2019). Despite his disability, Hawking continued to study theoretical physics and challenged early astronomers’ belief of black holes emitting no energy of any kind by discovering the Hawking radiation (Science ABC, 2019). In addition, John F. Nash Jr, an American mathematician, also falls under the category of disabled individuals who contributed immensely to math. Nash Jr. was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but it did not prevent him from discovering the basis of game theory by redefining a distinction between cooperative and non-cooperative games and developed an equilibrium concept for the non-cooperative games, which is known today as the Nash equilibrium (Chen, 2021). The Nash equilibrium states that “the optimal outcome of a game is where there is no incentive to deviate from their initial strategy” (Chen, 2021). The two famous individuals confirm that even people with disabilities are good mathematicians.
Women have also confirmed beyond doubt their math abilities, debunking the conventional belief math is dominated by white males. A story about stigmatization and stereotypes about women’s inability in technical subjects hit the headlines in Japan. A university was falsified the entrance exams for a Tokyo medical school (Mashable, 2016). Women with high scores were scored lower, and men with lower scores were scored higher. Surprisingly, when the story came to light, many people who commented actually agreed with the university’s actions. Many people argued that women cannot be doctors and instead, they should focus on the family or that women should not do a man’s job (Mashable, 2016). Although doctors and mathematicians are different, the obstacle that was mentioned in the video was the same, with many further commenting that they had less trust in a female doctor. However, several women have shown resilience, abilities, and determination in math. An excellent example is Emma Haruka Iwao, who is a software engineer at Google. Iwao currently holds the world record for breaking the most accurate value of 
(Mashable, 2016). Hence, women have capabilities the same way other people do in achieving greatness in math.
Bias in math also extends to people with queer gender and sexuality, commonly known as the LGBTQ. Due to such misconceived ideas, there is little to no representation of other groups of mathematicians because of this stereotypical image that many carry. Usually, the ubiquitous stereotypes and hate against individuals from the queer group prevent them from coming out to declare their status even when they have made tremendous contributions. Nevertheless, few courageous ones, such as Autumn Kent, came out as a trans woman during her career in mathematics (Katz, 2020). She explains that it was difficult for her to come out due to the expected gender norms that were constantly enforced from a young age. Kent struggled with these gender norms because she would try to incorporate traditionally feminine attributes in a manner that was still acceptable for males. Because of the intense societal pressures to conform to gender norms, Kent says that even when she finally accepted that she was trans, Kent could not accept that she was a woman for a couple more years (Katz, 2020). After she did come out as trans, she was relieved because the people around her supported her but also became more guarded and hyperaware of her interactions with people in her work.
Additionally, among the most often under-represented groups in mathematics is the Arabs and Muslims. These individuals contributed significantly to the field. For instance, they popularized the Indian numerical system. Notable figures include several great Muslim mathematicians, such as Muhammad Al Khwarizmi, who founded the basis of algebra and discovered another method to solving quadratic equations (Google, n.d.). Abu Al Buzini was the first to study the trigonometric identity systematically and discover the sine rule to find the missing lengths and angles of a triangle. Ibrahim Ibn Sinan further developed Archimedes’ study on the tangents of the circle, and Omar Khayyam was the first to introduce algebra into geometry (Google, n.d.). Thus, Muslim mathematicians are among the most crucial contributors to math yet often overlooked.
While most people believe that Asians are generally excellent mathematicians, their representation usually does not reflect the perception. However, Asians are among some of the most instrumental contributors in the field of mathematics. Seki Takazawa was a famous mathematician during the Edo period of Japan (Eves, 1969). Seki used elimination theory by developing the notion of a determinant to express a resultant and managed to calculate pi correctly to the 10th decimal place (Eves, 1969). During his life, he had collected many Japanese and Chinese books on mathematics, and his research helped lead to the creation of subsequent development of mathematics that became known as Wasan. Wasan soon became the most important school of mathematics in Japan during the Edo period, and his successors continued his research of the elimination method by developing it further (Eves, 1969). Therefore, Takazawa is a perfect representation of great Asian mathematicians.
Importantly, Hispanics and blacks have contributed hugely to the field of math. For instance, Alberto Pedro Calderon was an Argentinian mathematician known for his partial differential equations and singular integral operators of interpolation spaces (DreamBox, 2020). Alberto developed the theory of singular integral operators that would continue to be used for science and engineering to measure a wide variety of phenomena such as sound, head, and quantum mechanics (DreamBox, 2020). Similarly, Grace Awani Alele-Williams, the first Nigerian woman to obtain a doctorate for mathematics education in 1957, represents great black mathematicians (Taire, 2018). Since receiving her doctorate, she has continued to maintain her vested interest in women’s mathematical education. She has published various publications about educational development and discusses issues on how to tackle the lack of female representation in many education fields. Alele-Williams also created various non-degree programs that allowed working women to have more access to education, where they could simultaneously receive a certificate of teaching while working (Taire, 2018). Alberton and Alele-Williams show that even Hispanics and blacks have math abilities.
Lastly, the native tribes in America have also confirmed to possess abilities in math. For example, Mary Golda Ross’ love for math propelled her to be a great aeronautical engineer. Ross was born in 1908 in the Cherokee community of Park Hill (Howard, 2018). From a young age, Mary was drawn to mathematics. She first earned her degree from Northeastern State Teacher’s college in 1928, then her master’s at the University of Northern Colorado, and finally earned qualifications as an aeronautical engineer at UCLA (Howard, 2018). Ross was the first woman in engineering, and she played a key role in writing the NASA cosmic flight manual regarding the exploration of Mars and Venus. She was also involved in investigating the mentioned planets. She was the only female engineer amongst her team and the first Native American in this field. Ross became one of the few great native women native to achieve high academic performance.
In short, Eurocentrism has been one of the most significant challenges facing representation in the field of math. Usually, the common understanding is that Europeans created mathematical proofs. The contributions to the field made by individuals from other groups are dismissed. However, thorough research and analysis indicate that mathematics is not an area for a specific group of people. Any other person can perform excellently in math, as confirmed by the contribution of women, Muslims, Hispanic, Asians, Native Americans, and trans people. Thus, bias and stereotypes perpetuate false and under-representation in mathematics.
References
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Chen, J. (2021). Nash equilibrium.Investopedia. Web.
DreamBox. (2020). Celebrate national Hispanic month: Five Hispanic and Latino mathematicians.”DreamBox Learning. Web.
Eves, H, W. (1969). An introduction to the history of mathematics. Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc.
Google. (n.d.). Ibn Al-Haytham: The man who discovered how we see – 1001 Inventions.Google Arts & Culture. Web.
Howard, J. (2018). Meet Mary Golda Ross, one of the first native Americans in engineering.Massive Science. Web.
Katz, B. (2020). Queering mathematics.AMS Blogs. Web.
Mashable. (2016). Google’s Emma Haruka Iwao breaks Pi world record. Youtube. Web.
Taire, M. (2018). Grace Alele-Williams: Mathematician who dealt with cultism at UNIBEN.Vanguard News. Web.