Scientists growing up in adversity

The First Female Professor —— Sophia Kovalevskaya

Sophia was born in a noble manor on the border of Lithuania in czarist Russia, and her father was the head of a retired artillery regiment. She has been fascinated by mathematics since she was a child. She often looks at the mathematical formulas and symbols on the wall for a long time. It turns out that the wallpaper in her room is made of handouts of advanced mathematics. Sophia was able to independently derive the triangle formula at the age of 14, which was called "new Pascal".

As time went on, Sophia grew up gradually, and her interest in mathematics increased day by day. However, it was the Tsarist era, and women were not allowed to register for higher education. And her father wanted her to enter the society like other aristocratic girls, which blocked her desire to learn mathematics. So, regardless of her parents' objections, Sophia made a "fake marriage" with the young paleontologist Coe Valevski and came to Heidelberg. But there, women must get the approval of a special Committee to attend classes. After hard work, she was allowed to take basic courses. During this period, she was studious and mastered profound mathematical knowledge, which caused a sensation in Heidelberg and became a topic of discussion. But she was only allowed to take three semesters of courses and had to leave there.

Sophia, eager for further study, went to Berlin Technical University, intending to attend the class of the famous mathematician Wilstrass. But unfortunately, women are not allowed to attend the professor's class in Berlin, and Sophia is rejected everywhere. In the end, she had to go to Wilstrass's house for advice with a glimmer of hope. Wilstras (1815-1899) is a respected old mathematician. He met Sophia and asked him some questions about hyperellipses, all of which were novel at that time. Unexpectedly, this young woman, who is not stunning in appearance, is skilled in solving problems and has a unique way of thinking, which left a deep impression on the old professor. Therefore, Vesteras made an exception and promised Sophia to give lessons at home every Sunday, and also took one day out every week to teach in her apartment. In this way, Sophia studied under the careful guidance of Wilstrass for four years. Recalling this experience, she said, "This kind of learning has had a far-reaching impact on my whole mathematics career, which ultimately determines my future research direction."

Sophia got the encouragement and guidance from Wilstrass, and she had the courage to climb the peak of science. After four years of hard work, she wrote three excellent papers, which aroused strong repercussions. This is an unprecedented initiative. 1874, at the recommendation of Wilstrass, 24-year-old Sophia received her Ph.D. from the University of G? ttingen, a first-class German university, and became the leading female mathematician in the world.

Sophia, who received her doctorate, returned to the motherland with a pure heart, while Russia was as dark as before going abroad. She could not stand on her motherland, so she had to return to Berlin. She studied the broken line of light in the crystal according to the suggestion of Wilstrass. At the Odyssey Science Conference in 1883, she made a report with excellent research results. But fate is against her. That spring, her husband committed suicide because of bankruptcy. She was heartbroken at the sad news. She shut herself in her room for four days, without eating or drinking, and fainted on the fifth day. Unfortunately, this did not dampen Sophia's morale. After waking up on the sixth day, she began to work hard again.

With the help of Swedish mathematician Mida Leffler, Sophia was able to be a lecturer at Stockholm University after many twists and turns, but the local newspaper publicly criticized her: "It is harmful and unpleasant for a woman to be a professor-even that kind of person is a monster." But Sophia was fearless and walked onto the platform like a man. He won the students' love with vivid lectures and defeated the prejudice of "men are superior to women". A year later, she was formally hired as a senior professor of analysis and later as a professor of mechanics.

Sophia's term in Sweden expired. She wanted to return to China to teach, but failed, so she had to continue teaching abroad. 189 1 year, Sophia suffered from pneumonia and died because of misdiagnosis. She has worked hard for women's freedom struggle and is a shining example for women to climb the peak of science.

Nord, a female mathematician who grew up in adversity

1933 65438+ 10, Hitler issued the first decree as soon as he came to power, comparing Jews to "demons" and clamoring to crush "the rights of demons". Soon, the University of G? ttingen was ordered to dismiss all people of pure Jewish descent who were engaged in education. Among the expelled scholars, a woman named Amy Nord (A.E. Noether1882-1935) became a professor in this university at the age of 5l. The lecture she presided over was forced to stop, and even her meager salary was cancelled. This woman who has achieved academic success is calm in the face of difficulties because she has spent her life in adversity.

Nord grew up in the family of a Jewish math professor and liked math since he was a child. 1903, Nord, who was 2 1 year old, was admitted to the University of G? ttingen, where he listened to lectures by Klein, Hilbert, Minkowski and others, and had an indissoluble bond with mathematics. She published several high-quality papers when she was a student, and at the age of 25, she became one of the few female doctors in mathematics in the world.

Nord has made outstanding contributions to the study of differential inequalities, rings and ideal subgroups. But because of the low status of women at that time, she was not even a lecturer. With the strong support of the great mathematician Hilbert, Nord became the first female lecturer at the University of G? ttingen from Hilbert's "private lecturer". Next, due to her outstanding scientific research achievements and Hilbert's recommendation, she was qualified as an "supernumerary associate professor", although she was more powerful than many "professors".

Nord loves mathematics education and is good at inspiring students to think. She has never been married, but she has many children. She keeps close contact with students and is amiable. People affectionately call the students around her "Nord's children". China mathematician Ceng Jiong is one of Nord's children. Under Hitler's arrogance, Nord was forced to leave the University of G? ttingen and go to work in the United States. In America, she is also respected and loved by students, as well as her "children". 1934 In September, the United States established a postdoctoral scholarship named after Nord. Unfortunately, Nord died of surgery less than two years after working in the United States at the age of 53. Her death made many colleagues in mathematics feel infinite sorrow. Einstein delivered a eulogy at the The New York Times, saying, "According to the judgment of authoritative mathematicians now, Ms. Nord is the most important creative mathematical genius since women received higher education."