Famous Dyslexic Mathematician – Norbert Wiener

There have been many famous dyslexic mathematicians throughout history. Today, math-gifted dyslexic students might find their outlet for numbers in careers such as finance and investing, or engineering in some aspect of computer technology.

Norbert Wiener of MIT was a computer pioneer who developed the field of cybernetics which profoundly impacted such diverse fields as electrical engineering, systems control, biology, computer science, and philosophy.

Today there are engineers who will tell you that technology is only just catching up with ideas that Wiener proposed years ago.

Norbert was educated extensively by his father, who was a Professor of Slavic languages.

Interestingly, like many math-gifted dyslexics, Norbert was not particularly strong with basic arithmetic as a child.

“My chief deficiency was arithmetic. Here my understanding was far beyond my manipulation, which was definitely poor. My father saw quite correctly that one of my chief difficulties was that manipulative drill bored me. He decided to take me out of school and put me on algebra instead of arithmetic, with the purpose of offering a greater challenge and stimulus to my imagination.”