Did you know that the highest ranking mathematician in the world right now is African, right ? Thirty seven year old Cameroonian Ad - din A Tanga now was ranked number one in mathematics and number two sixty in all of science, technology, and engineering fields. Is Stanford University's ranking of top science just in the world. This list recognizes nearly two hundred thousand world - class researchers who make up the top two percent. Now seen an African researcher emerge at the top of such a prestigious list is groundbreaking. A tank gunner was inspired to get into research after seeing the lack of African representation in mathematical research. He has pioneered various mathematical concepts that are now used to model real - world problems in the fields of engineering, science and technology. Share, believe, inspire blacks, be.