The Historical Development of Women in Mathematics - Essay Example

The historical development of women in mathematics The mathematics has undergone many transformations over human history. As the global environment is changing at fast pace, it becomes vital to study the mathematical contributions by female mathematician. The biographies of women mathematician focuses on numerous achievements in the field of include arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, number theory, advanced algebra, topology etc. These notable women have left their mark in the historical development of mathematics by contributing in mathematical research, ideas, knowledge and novel as well as easier to understand methods of teaching to the children. Theano (c.6th Century B.C.) Pythagoras’s wife Theano wrote treatises on mathematics, physics, medicine, and child psychology. She was responsible for managing Pythagorean School and actively persuade an important training ground for future mathematicians. Her important contribution is the work on the "Golden Mean." (http://www.agnesscott.edu/Lriddle/women/theano.htm) Hypatia of Alexandria (370 - 415) Theon’s daughter Hypatia is a Greek philosopher, astronomer, mathematician lady. She wrote treatises on mathematics and gave new dimensions to diophantine algebra by suggesting alternative solutions to quadratic equations. She has made substantial contribution to the development of mathematics by simplifying the idea of conics by writing on Conics of Apollonius. She was the principal of the Neoplatonic School in Alexandria, Egypt, from the year 400. Her students were many prominent Christians around the empire. The supporters of bishop of Alexandria, Cyril felt threatened by her intelligence and power. A fanatical sect of Christians killed her in 415. Elena Cornaro Piscopia (1646-1684) Elena Piscopia was the first woman to earn a doctoral degree in Philosophy from the University of Padua. She was working as a matheamtics lecturer at the University of Padua in 1678. This Italian lady had good command over many languages, notable musical talent and great reasoning power. She earned respect as mathematician, philosopher and theologian. Maria Agnesi (1718-1799) This Italian (Milan) mathematician was one of the major mathematician and talented musician during the 18th century. She was offered honorary chair of mathematics and natural philosophy at the University of Bologna. She published her important work in Analytical Institutions in organized, clear and precise fashion on mathematical process and mathematical analysis for her brothers which became popular afterwards. She has great contribution in analysis of finite quantities; elementary problems of maxima, minima, tangents, and inflection points; analysis of infinitely small quantities; integral calculus; and the inverse method of tangents and differential equations, finding a mathematical equation for a geometric curve etc. (Morrow & Perl, 1998). Sophie Germain (1776-1830) Sophie Germain was a French revolutionary mathematician who had to fight against gender injustice. She made vital contribution in number theory, mathematical physics, and theory of elasticity, though her was not recognised being a woman. Her crucial work on Fermats Last Theorem in Mathematics was honorable but she could not become celebrated mathematician. (http://www.agnesscott.edu/Lriddle/WOMEN/germain.htm) Mary Fairfax Somerville (1780-1872) Mary is recognised as the Queen of Nineteenth Century Science. She had to face many family obstacles and disapprovals to learn math. She has published work on theoretical and mathematical science. Her mathematical book on Mechanism of the Heavens was great success. She was the first Britisher honorable author of Physical Geography book. She was one of the first selected women in the Royal Astronomical Society. She also published a book named Molecular and Microscopic Science which focuses on advances in physics and chemistry. (www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/somer.htm) Ada Lovelace (Augusta Byron, Countess of Lovelace) (1815-1852) Ada was a British mathematician. She had inclination for poetries and mathematics. When she translated Charles Babbages Analytical Engine, she predicted versatility of the machine. She has capability of assimilating mathematics and technology which would able to serve for mankind. She put forth many potential applications to compose complex music, to produce graphics, and would be used for practical and scientific purpose. She formulated software language called “Ada” in 1979 and U.S. Department of Defense honored her. (http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/WOMEN/love.htm) Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) Florence Nightingale was a British passionate statistician and mathematician. She brought reform in military health care system by combining her professional nursing knowledge and mathematical approach. She emphasized on mathematical analysis of social phenomenon. She was expert in the collection, tabulation, interpretation, and graphical display of descriptive statistics. This Prophetess of Applied Statistics discovered “Polar Area Chart” in the form of polar wedges. Through this research she focused on careless preventable deaths in the military caused by unhygienic conditions. She had major contribution in a Model Hospital Statistical Form for hospitals to collect and generate consistent data and statistics. She became a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society in 1858 and an honorary member of the American (http://www.agnesscott.edu/Lriddle/WOMEN/nitegale.htm) Charlotte Angas Scott (1848-1931) Charlotte was first English, American mathematician who earned doctoral degree in mathematics. She had capability of the teacher to influence students and played an important role in the developments of women mathematicians. She was born and brought up in a supportive environment and fortunate enough to get good education. Her book on Noethers Fundamental Theorem is well known. In 1894, she also published work on modern ideas and plane analytical geometry. She was heading maths department in Bryn Mawr College and started many maths programs in the college. She was a founder of College Entrance Examination Board to standardize admission protocol. www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/scott.htm Sofia Kovalevskaya (1850-1891) Sofia was a Russian mathematician and had great contribution in the mathematics inspite of unfavorable conditions. She was a great inventor and published several papers in mathematics, mathematical physics etc. She had discovered many ground-breaking theories like Cauchy-Kovalevskaya Theorem. http://www.agnesscott.edu/LRiddle/women/kova.htm Alicia Stott (1860-1940) Alicia Stott was a English – mathematician and had a pioneering work in formulation of 45 semiregular polytopes. She had published her work in many research papers. She gave higher dimensions to Platonic and Archimedean solids. http://www.agnesscott.edu/Lriddle/women/stott.htm Emmy (Amalie) Noether (1882-1935) German Emmy was a great educator in mathematics who taught in Germany and America. She went through lots of struggle in her professional career being a woman. She taught abstract algebra, with special attention to rings, groups, and fields. Because of her unique look on topics, she was able to see relationships that traditional algebra experts. Her teaching style was unique to encorge the students to think and come up with ideas of their own. She cared for her students and some of her students became expert mathematician. http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/noether.htm Winifred Edgerton Merrill (1862-1951) Winifred is the first American woman to receive a doctoral degree in math with highest honors. Her research topic was on the geometrical interpretation of multiple integrals. She configured the computation of the orbit of a comet. She was educator in mathematics in several institutions. http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/merrill.htm Grace Chisholm Young (1868-1944) Worked with her husband on set theory and reworked on the theory of functions of a real variable. She wrote 13 publications with her husband and 18 on her own. In 1915, she was awarded Gamble Prize at Cambridge for the article on foundations of calculus. She is recognised with great work in Denjoy-Young-Saks theorem. http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/young.htm. Edith Clarke (1883-1959) Edith was a great American mathematician and educator. She was honored as first electrical engineer woman. She made significant work in in applications of mathematics to engineering. She was the first woman to get honor to put forward her research paper in the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE). Her notable work includes the manipulation of hyperbolic functions, equivalent circuits, graphical analysis, and longer transmission analysis. http://www.agnesscott.edu/LRiddle/women/clarke.htm. Irmgard Flugge-Lotz (1903 – 1974) Stanford Universitys distinguished professor Flugge-Lotz was recognised for great work in aerodynamics and automatic theory control which was male dominating area. She was awarded by the Society of Women Engineers in 1970, an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the University of Maryland in 1973, and selection by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) to give the prestigious annual von Karman and rewarded as honorary doctorate. She exhibited intuitive approach of woman to solve complex engineering problems. www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/lotz.htm Ellen Amanda Hayes (1851-1930) Ellen Hayes had published many books on Algebra and calculus. The some of the books she authored include Lessons on Higher Algebra (1891, revised 1894), Elementary Trigonometry (1896), and Calculus with Applications, An Introduction to the Mathematical Treatment of Science (1900). www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/hayes.htm Edna Kramer Lassar (1902-1984) She authored famous books named The Nature and Growth of Modern Mathematics, A First Course in Educational Statistics, Mathematics Takes Wings: An Aviation Supplement to Secondary Mathematics, and The Main Stream of Mathematics. Rózsa Péter (1905-1977) Peter authored Playing with Infinity: Mathematical Explorations and Excursions which was her great success and rewritten in many languages. Recursive Functions in Computer Theory which made major contribution in the theory of computers. Helena Rasiowa (1917-1994) Helena was a superior mathematician who envisage the great importance of mathematical logic for computer science. Helena developed several applications of logical methods in the foundations of computer science. Argelia Velez-Rodriguez (1936-) University of Habana awarded PhD in mathematics to first Cuban Black woman, Argelia. She stated as a teacher in American schools and became chairperson of the Department of Mathematical Science from 1975 to 1978. In 1980, she held a post of program director for the Department of Education. The professional path followed by famous women in mathematics in male dominating society would definitely influence and inspire many potential women mathematicians. References Riddle, Larry. (April 2009). Biographies of female mathematicians, Agnes Scott College Famous women in mathematics, 2009, Retrieved from: http://raccems.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/famous-women-in-mathematics/ Osen, Lynn M. (1975). Women in Mathematics. Edition: 12, illustrated. Published by MIT Press. Morrow, Charlene & Perl Teri (1998). Notable women in mathematics: a biographical dictionary. Edition: illustrated. Published by Greenwood Publishing Group. Read More