John Horton Conway

John Horton Conway (1937–2020) was a renowned English mathematician who made significant contributions to finite group theory, knot theory, number theory, and combinatorial game theory. Born in Liverpool, he spent the first half of his career at the University of Cambridge before moving to the United States to hold the John von Neumann Professorship at Princeton University. He is widely recognized for inventing the cellular automaton known as the Game of Life and for his work on surreal numbers and monstrous moonshine. A fellow of the Royal Society, Conway was celebrated for his charismatic teaching and profound influence on recreational mathematics.