Sonya Kovalevskaya

1850 -1891

Background

Sonya was born in Russia in 1850, the daughter of an army general. She had an unhappy childhood, as she felt neglected by her parents. However, according to Wilson (1995) Sonya began studying mathematics at a very young age and credits her curiosity to her uncle Peter. When she was 14 she taught herself trigonometry, and then after secondary schooling she was determined to continue her education at University, so a marriage of convenience was arranged. This allowed her to move to Berlin to study at the University under Weierstrass. She studied under him for 4 years.

Then in 1874 she gained a doctorate in mathematics from the Gottingen University for her work on partial differential equations, integrals and the form of Saturn's rings. She later became Professor of mathematics at Stockholm and was to become the leading mathematician of her time. She was considered to be a mathematical genius and the greatest woman mathematician prior to the 20th century (ed. Gillispie 1970).

Contributions

Kovalevskaya made two important contributions to mathematics. First was her proof of what is now referred to as the Cauchy-Kovalevskaya theorem. This theorem deals with a rather general system of differential equations of the first order with any number of variables, that is n independent variables. Kovalevskaya's colleagues considered that her statement and proof of the Theorem was an important improvement over Cauchy's (Koblitz 1987).

Her second major contribution was her work in 1888 on the rotation of a solid body about a fixed point. Up until this time only two cases had been found that gave the complete solution of the differential equations involved in the rotation of a solid body about a fixed point. Her work discussed the theory for an asymmetrical body, where the centre of its mass is not on an axis in the body. This piece of work astounded her contemporaries and is still of interest to mathematical physicists today (Osen 1990).

Koblitz (1987) states that Sonya had a large impact on mathematics, not only because her works were significant, but also because she acted as an intermediary between the mathematics of Western Europe and her native Russia. Sonya died suddenly in 1891 after contracting pneumonia. She was only 41. So, although her scientific life was brief, it was also brilliant.

References

Gillispie, C.C. (ed.), Dictionary of Scientific Biography, vol.7, New York: Charles Scribner, 1970.

Koblitz, A.H., 'Sofia Vasilevna Kovalevskaia (1850-1891)', in Women of Mathematics A Biobibliographic Sourcebook , L.S. Grinstein & P.J. Campbell, New York: Greenwood Press, pp. 103-113, 1987.

Osen, L.M., Women in Mathematics , Cambridge, Mass. and London, England: M.I.T. Press, 1990.

Wilson, B., Citing Computer References [Online, accessed 13 Oct. 1996]. URL.http://www.scotlsn.edu/lriddle/women/kovalevskaya.html, 1995.

Written by Julie Boyd
(University of South Australia, 1996)

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