Sophie Germain: Secret Mathematician Essay Example

Two of these men discovered her identity, though both continued to collaborate with her.

When Sophie discovered Karl Gauss’ work in number theory, the two began writing (Reimer and Reimer, 95). Her mathematical genius enabled her to understand Gauss’ work on a higher level than most. She preferred studying practical problems or applied math. She would even go to the extent of working on one problem for years at a time. She eventually won a prize for her work from The French Academy of Science. Sophie was known for her studies in number theory, curved surfaces and the vibrations of elasticity (Cooney, 43). One of her contributions to the field of math was demonstrating that “For prime xponents less than 100, … there could be no solutions relatively prime to the exponent” (Singh par. 9). Sophie never married and continued her work in mathematics. Sadly, she died in Paris on June 26, 1831 as a result of breast cancer. The death certificate of Sophie Germain made no mention of her methodological work, despite the fact that a man of her social stature would have his life’s accomplishments noted on this important document (Cooney, 43). Karl Gauss convinced the University of Gottingen to honor Sophie with an honorary doctorate, however, she passed away prior to receiving the award (Cooney, 43).

One of the visible products of Germain’s work still stands today: The Eiffel Tower. Based on a paper she wrote and the continuing work of others made building the tower possible. Strangely enough, her name is absent from the 72 listed on the structure (Singh par. 16). Germain grew up sheltered by her wealthy parents during the French

Revolution. She found mathematics intensely interesting. She began her studies by candlelight, though her parents protested. Traditionally a male pursuit, Sophie hid her identity with a male pseudonym. Eventually discovered, her male mentors continued to work with her.

While not truly recognized in life, some of Sophie’s accomplishments have recognized since her passing. Works Cited Cooney, Miriam P. “Sophie Germain Ahead of Her Time in Applied Mathematics. ” Celebrating Women in Mathematics and Science. Reston: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Inc. 1996. Print. 37-44. Reimer, Luetta, and Wilbert Reimer. “Mathematics at Midnight. ” Mathematicians Are People, Too: Stories From The Lives of Great Mathematicians. Parsippany: Dale Seymour Publications. 1990. Print. 91-97. Singh, Simon. “Math’s Hidden Woman. ” Nov. 2000. Web. Oct. 2009. “Sophie Germain: Revolutionary Mathematician. “ Web. Oct. 2009.