Mathematics effects

Question

How modern math is influenced by past mathematicians?

Answer 1

two views

the dead hand of the past strangles us (a common claim of those of the "Enlightenment")

or

today we build on the shoulders of giants.

Einstein a mere piker compared to Isaac Newton or Galileo

Progress builds on prior progress, sometimes exponentially

or sometimes magnifies prior errors

Only time will tell, or will it compound errors too, the errors or achievements with history unable to really ever tell the difference?

Newton's 3 Laws still taught modernly. Euler's endless insights often ignored

Newton's alchemy ignored, no matter how accurate or unreliable.

Maybe Plato has the best explanation, with his theory of Forms, evading

many modern conudrums