Emmy Noether

Amalie Emmy Noether

I born 23 March 1892, Erlangen,Germany

I died 14 April 1935, Bryn Mawr,Pennsylvania

I Jewish

I father : Max Noether(mathematician)

I brothers : Alfred (chemist),Fritz (applied math), Gustav

All pictures in public domain and in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Noether

Emmy Noether

Amalie Emmy Noether

I born 23 March 1892, Erlangen,Germany

I died 14 April 1935, Bryn Mawr,Pennsylvania

I Jewish

I father : Max Noether(mathematician)

I brothers : Alfred (chemist),Fritz (applied math), Gustav

All pictures in public domain and in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Noether

Emmy Noether

Amalie Emmy Noether

I born 23 March 1892, Erlangen,Germany

I died 14 April 1935, Bryn Mawr,Pennsylvania

I Jewish

I father : Max Noether(mathematician)

I brothers : Alfred (chemist),Fritz (applied math), Gustav

All pictures in public domain and in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Noether

Emmy Noether

Amalie Emmy Noether

I born 23 March 1892, Erlangen,Germany

I died 14 April 1935, Bryn Mawr,Pennsylvania

I Jewish

I father : Max Noether(mathematician)

I brothers : Alfred (chemist),Fritz (applied math), Gustav

All pictures in public domain and in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Noether

Emmy Noether

Amalie Emmy Noether

I born 23 March 1892, Erlangen,Germany

I died 14 April 1935, Bryn Mawr,Pennsylvania

I Jewish

I father : Max Noether(mathematician)

I brothers : Alfred (chemist),Fritz (applied math), Gustav

All pictures in public domain and in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Noether

Emmy Noether

Amalie Emmy Noether

I born 23 March 1892, Erlangen,Germany

I died 14 April 1935, Bryn Mawr,Pennsylvania

I Jewish

I father : Max Noether(mathematician)

I brothers : Alfred (chemist),Fritz (applied math), Gustav

All pictures in public domain and in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmy_Noether

education

I qualified to teach languages at girls’ school, but insteaddecided to study math

I First at Erlangen

I Spent a semester at Gottingen: David Hilbert, Felix Klein,Hermann Minkowski

I Back at Erlangen, PhD supervised by Paul Gordon.

I Thesis on invariants

education

I qualified to teach languages at girls’ school, but insteaddecided to study math

I First at Erlangen

I Spent a semester at Gottingen: David Hilbert, Felix Klein,Hermann Minkowski

I Back at Erlangen, PhD supervised by Paul Gordon.

I Thesis on invariants

education

I qualified to teach languages at girls’ school, but insteaddecided to study math

I First at Erlangen

I Spent a semester at Gottingen: David Hilbert, Felix Klein,Hermann Minkowski

I Back at Erlangen, PhD supervised by Paul Gordon.

I Thesis on invariants

education

I qualified to teach languages at girls’ school, but insteaddecided to study math

I First at Erlangen

I Spent a semester at Gottingen: David Hilbert, Felix Klein,Hermann Minkowski

I Back at Erlangen, PhD supervised by Paul Gordon.

I Thesis on invariants

work

I Taught at Erlangen (1908-1915)

I Corresponded with Hilbert and Klein on physics (Hilbert:“Physics is actually too hard for physicists.”)

I Invited by Hilbert and Klein to come to Gottingen(1915-1933), working on General Relativity.

I Lectured at Gottingen, gave courses. Passed her habilitation(1919). Many students.

I Barred from Gottingen by nazi government in 1933. Wasinvited to Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania.

work

I Taught at Erlangen (1908-1915)

I Corresponded with Hilbert and Klein on physics (Hilbert:“Physics is actually too hard for physicists.”)

I Invited by Hilbert and Klein to come to Gottingen(1915-1933), working on General Relativity.

I Lectured at Gottingen, gave courses. Passed her habilitation(1919). Many students.

I Barred from Gottingen by nazi government in 1933. Wasinvited to Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania.

work

I Taught at Erlangen (1908-1915)

I Corresponded with Hilbert and Klein on physics (Hilbert:“Physics is actually too hard for physicists.”)

I Invited by Hilbert and Klein to come to Gottingen(1915-1933), working on General Relativity.

I Lectured at Gottingen, gave courses. Passed her habilitation(1919). Many students.

I Barred from Gottingen by nazi government in 1933. Wasinvited to Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania.

work

I Taught at Erlangen (1908-1915)

I Corresponded with Hilbert and Klein on physics (Hilbert:“Physics is actually too hard for physicists.”)

I Invited by Hilbert and Klein to come to Gottingen(1915-1933), working on General Relativity.

I Lectured at Gottingen, gave courses. Passed her habilitation(1919). Many students.

I Barred from Gottingen by nazi government in 1933. Wasinvited to Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania.

work

I Taught at Erlangen (1908-1915)

I Corresponded with Hilbert and Klein on physics (Hilbert:“Physics is actually too hard for physicists.”)

I Invited by Hilbert and Klein to come to Gottingen(1915-1933), working on General Relativity.

I Lectured at Gottingen, gave courses. Passed her habilitation(1919). Many students.

I Barred from Gottingen by nazi government in 1933. Wasinvited to Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania.

some highlights of her outstanding work

I Proved that any symmetry of the physical laws gives rise to aconserved quantity.

I Laws of Physics do not change under translation impliesconservation of linear momentum.

I Laws of Physics do not change under rotation impliesconservation of angular momentum.

I Laws of Physics do not change over time implies conservationof energy.

I Introduced the study of ideals into ring theory; ascending anddescending chain conditions. “Study an structure by studyingwhat kinds of substructures it has.” Noetherian rings.

I noncommutative algebra, hypercomplex numbers

some (ridiculous) barriers

I Was not allowed to be paid while teaching at Erlangen.Women were excluded from academic life.

I Was not allowed to be a “regular” professor at Gottingen.Women were not allowed to be professors.

I a professor: “What will our soldiers think when they return tothe university and find that they are required to learn at thefeet of a woman?”

I Hilbert: “I do not see that the sex of the candidate is anargument against her admission as privatdozent. After all, weare a university, not a bath house.”

I Almost wasn’t allowed to receive her habilitation. Hugesupport from mathematicians and physicists, not so muchfrom administration and government. Went all the way to theMinister.

I University only allowed her to be Hilbert’s “assistant”: alllectures were given under his name with her “help”. Spoiler:she did all of her lectures and classes and research.

some (ridiculous) barriers

I Was not allowed to be paid while teaching at Erlangen.Women were excluded from academic life.

I Was not allowed to be a “regular” professor at Gottingen.Women were not allowed to be professors.

I a professor: “What will our soldiers think when they return tothe university and find that they are required to learn at thefeet of a woman?”

I Hilbert: “I do not see that the sex of the candidate is anargument against her admission as privatdozent. After all, weare a university, not a bath house.”

I Almost wasn’t allowed to receive her habilitation. Hugesupport from mathematicians and physicists, not so muchfrom administration and government. Went all the way to theMinister.

I University only allowed her to be Hilbert’s “assistant”: alllectures were given under his name with her “help”. Spoiler:she did all of her lectures and classes and research.

some (ridiculous) barriers

I Was not allowed to be paid while teaching at Erlangen.Women were excluded from academic life.

I Was not allowed to be a “regular” professor at Gottingen.Women were not allowed to be professors.

I a professor: “What will our soldiers think when they return tothe university and find that they are required to learn at thefeet of a woman?”

I Hilbert: “I do not see that the sex of the candidate is anargument against her admission as privatdozent. After all, weare a university, not a bath house.”

I Almost wasn’t allowed to receive her habilitation. Hugesupport from mathematicians and physicists, not so muchfrom administration and government. Went all the way to theMinister.

I University only allowed her to be Hilbert’s “assistant”: alllectures were given under his name with her “help”. Spoiler:she did all of her lectures and classes and research.

some (ridiculous) barriers

I Was not allowed to be paid while teaching at Erlangen.Women were excluded from academic life.

I Was not allowed to be a “regular” professor at Gottingen.Women were not allowed to be professors.

I a professor: “What will our soldiers think when they return tothe university and find that they are required to learn at thefeet of a woman?”

I Hilbert: “I do not see that the sex of the candidate is anargument against her admission as privatdozent. After all, weare a university, not a bath house.”

I Almost wasn’t allowed to receive her habilitation. Hugesupport from mathematicians and physicists, not so muchfrom administration and government. Went all the way to theMinister.

I University only allowed her to be Hilbert’s “assistant”: alllectures were given under his name with her “help”. Spoiler:she did all of her lectures and classes and research.

some (ridiculous) barriers

I Was not allowed to be paid while teaching at Erlangen.Women were excluded from academic life.

I Was not allowed to be a “regular” professor at Gottingen.Women were not allowed to be professors.

I a professor: “What will our soldiers think when they return tothe university and find that they are required to learn at thefeet of a woman?”

I Hilbert: “I do not see that the sex of the candidate is anargument against her admission as privatdozent. After all, weare a university, not a bath house.”

I Almost wasn’t allowed to receive her habilitation. Hugesupport from mathematicians and physicists, not so muchfrom administration and government. Went all the way to theMinister.

I University only allowed her to be Hilbert’s “assistant”: alllectures were given under his name with her “help”. Spoiler:she did all of her lectures and classes and research.

some (ridiculous) barriers

I Was not allowed to be paid while teaching at Erlangen.Women were excluded from academic life.

I Was not allowed to be a “regular” professor at Gottingen.Women were not allowed to be professors.

I a professor: “What will our soldiers think when they return tothe university and find that they are required to learn at thefeet of a woman?”

I Hilbert: “I do not see that the sex of the candidate is anargument against her admission as privatdozent. After all, weare a university, not a bath house.”

I Almost wasn’t allowed to receive her habilitation. Hugesupport from mathematicians and physicists, not so muchfrom administration and government. Went all the way to theMinister.

I University only allowed her to be Hilbert’s “assistant”: alllectures were given under his name with her “help”. Spoiler:she did all of her lectures and classes and research.

some (ridiculous) barriers

I Was not allowed to be paid while teaching at Erlangen.Women were excluded from academic life.

I Was not allowed to be a “regular” professor at Gottingen.Women were not allowed to be professors.

I a professor: “What will our soldiers think when they return tothe university and find that they are required to learn at thefeet of a woman?”

I Hilbert: “I do not see that the sex of the candidate is anargument against her admission as privatdozent. After all, weare a university, not a bath house.”

I Almost wasn’t allowed to receive her habilitation. Hugesupport from mathematicians and physicists, not so muchfrom administration and government. Went all the way to theMinister.

I University only allowed her to be Hilbert’s “assistant”: alllectures were given under his name with her “help”. Spoiler:she did all of her lectures and classes and research.

some thoughts

Then:I Emmy Noether was brilliant. She was widely admired by

people who understood her research. Even with colleagues likeHilbert, Klein, Einstein, she barely got an academic positionand no or very little pay.

I She was almost the only female academic in Erlangen andGottingen.

I Who else got driven away?

Now:I The explicit barriers Noether faced are (thankfully!) not a

part of our life here in Canada.I Women still face barriers today in academia, especially in

areas like math, physics, engineering.I eg: some 20 years ago I taught linear algebra to computer

engineers. 100 students, 4 female.

Next:I What to do about this? Me, you, everyone?

some thoughts

Then:I Emmy Noether was brilliant. She was widely admired by

people who understood her research. Even with colleagues likeHilbert, Klein, Einstein, she barely got an academic positionand no or very little pay.

I She was almost the only female academic in Erlangen andGottingen.

I Who else got driven away?

Now:I The explicit barriers Noether faced are (thankfully!) not a

part of our life here in Canada.I Women still face barriers today in academia, especially in

areas like math, physics, engineering.I eg: some 20 years ago I taught linear algebra to computer

engineers. 100 students, 4 female.

Next:I What to do about this? Me, you, everyone?

some thoughts

Then:I Emmy Noether was brilliant. She was widely admired by

people who understood her research. Even with colleagues likeHilbert, Klein, Einstein, she barely got an academic positionand no or very little pay.

I She was almost the only female academic in Erlangen andGottingen.

I Who else got driven away?

Now:I The explicit barriers Noether faced are (thankfully!) not a

part of our life here in Canada.I Women still face barriers today in academia, especially in

areas like math, physics, engineering.I eg: some 20 years ago I taught linear algebra to computer

engineers. 100 students, 4 female.

Next:I What to do about this? Me, you, everyone?

some thoughts

Then:I Emmy Noether was brilliant. She was widely admired by

people who understood her research. Even with colleagues likeHilbert, Klein, Einstein, she barely got an academic positionand no or very little pay.

I She was almost the only female academic in Erlangen andGottingen.

I Who else got driven away?

Now:I The explicit barriers Noether faced are (thankfully!) not a

part of our life here in Canada.I Women still face barriers today in academia, especially in

areas like math, physics, engineering.I eg: some 20 years ago I taught linear algebra to computer

engineers. 100 students, 4 female.

Next:I What to do about this? Me, you, everyone?