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Emmy Noether

1882 - 1935

German Mathematician and Physicist

Childhood:

In 1882, Emmy was born in Germany. Her father, Max Noether was a mathematician and had a wife named Ida. Emmy started off with a normal education and aced her final tests. She was going to become a teacher until the University of Erlangen started to allow women. Emmy signed up for a few math classes and happened to really like them and be really good at them. At first, there were a few restrictions (she could only audit courses) but she kept going until she graduated in 1903. Finally, once they allowed female students, Emmy took her dissertation (called "On the Complete Systems of Invariants for Ternary Biquadratic Forms") which she finished in 1907.

Adulthood:

After her dissertation,  and even though there were fewer restrictions in universities, there was still a lot of sexism from male scholars. The male scholars did let her work at the university for 7 years, but for no salary. Even when she was allowed to go to a different University as a lecturer, she had to lecture under her male supervisor's name.

Luckily, her male supervisor didn't believe in making her work under him and campaigned to get her a real spot. Finally, in 1919,  Emmy got to lecture under her own name and many mathematicians soon took notice. Why? Because Emmy had proven some of the most important theorems in the world. Her theorem (called Noether's Theorem) basically proved that energy can neither be created or destroyed, and was named as one of "The most important mathematical theorems ever" by modern physicists and is practically as important as Einsteins's theory of relativity. Sadly, this was the 1930s in Germany and  Emmy was Jewish. When the Nazis came, Emmy fled to America and went to live in Penselvania. In 1935, Emmy got sugery for an ovarian cyst and died from complications four days later. When she died, Albert Einstein wrote a eulogy, which he noted her as the most significant creative mathmatical genius thus far produced since the hight education of woman began." Today Emmy is recognized in many ways from a google doodle to a crater on the moon.

 

Overview: 

  • Born in Germany in 1882 to a German Mathmatician + Wife

  • Had normal education, aced tests, and going to become teacher

  • University of Erlagen finally allowed women and Emmy went there instead

  • Took a few math classes, was really good at them + loved them

  • Graduated in 1903

  • When restrictions were lifted for the dissertation, Emmy wrote hers and finished in 1907

  • Male scholars let her work at the university for 7 years but with no pay

  • Emmy got to lecture at a different university but had to do it under male supervisor's name

  • Male supervisor campains for Emmy to lecture under her own name

  • Emmy lectures under her own name,  mathematitions start paying attention to her

  • Creates "Noether's Theorem" which proves energy can neither be created or distroyed

  • Moves to Penselvania, America because of the Nazis

  • 1935,  get surgery, dies four days later from complincatons

  • Albert Eiestine writes eulogy for her saying how great she is

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