Malba Tahan
Júlio César de Mello e Souza, writing under the pen name Malba Tahan, was a Brazilian author and mathematics professor.
He created the fictional persona of Ali Yezzid Izz-Edin ibn-Salim Hanak Malba Tahan, a Persian scholar from Baghdad.
Mello e Souza was born in 1895 in Rio de Janeiro and came from a family of educators.
He was known for his innovative teaching methods and ability to make mathematics engaging through storytelling.
Under his own name and the Malba Tahan pseudonym, he wrote numerous books and stories combining mathematics and literature.
His work, particularly "The Man Who Counted," has remained popular since its publication.
Mello e Souza died in 1974 at age 79 while traveling to give a lecture.
