Born: 1850 (Moscow, Russia)
Died: 1891
Biography:
Sofya Vasilyevna Kovalevskaya (Russian: Софья Васильевна Ковалевская), born Korvin-Krukovskaya (15 January [O.S. 3 January] 1850 – 10 February 1891), was a Russian mathematician who made noteworthy contributions to analysis, partial differential equations, and mechanics. She was a pioneer for women in mathematics around the world – the first woman to obtain a doctorate (in the modern sense) in mathematics, the first woman appointed to a full professorship in northern Europe, and one of the first women to work for a scientific journal as an editor. According to historian of science Ann Hibner Koblitz, Kovalevskaya was the greatest known woman scientist before the twentieth century. Historian of mathematics Roger Cooke writes: … the more I reflect on her life and consider the magnitude of her achievements, set against the weight of the obstacles she had to overcome, the more I admire her. For me, she has taken on a heroic stature achieved by very few other people in history. To venture, as she did, into academia, a world almost no woman had yet explored, and to be consequently the object of curious scrutiny, while a doubting society looked on, half-expecting her to fail, took tremendous courage and determination. To achieve, as she did, at least two major results of lasting value to scholarship, is evidence of a considerable talent, developed through iron discipline.
Sofya Kovalevskaya was born on January 15, 1850, in Moscow, the second of three children. Her father, Lieutenant General Vasily Vasilyevich Korvin-Krukovsky, served in the Imperial Russian Army as the head of the Moscow Artillery before retiring to Polibino, his family estate in Pskov Oblast, in 1858, when Kovalevskaya was eight years old. He was a member of the minor nobility, of mixed Russian-Polish descent, with a possible partial ancestry from the royal Corvin family of Hungary, and served as Marshall of Nobility for Vitebsk province. Her mother, Yelizaveta Fedorovna Shubert (Schubert), descended from a family of German immigrants to St. Petersburg who lived on Vasilievsky Island. Her maternal great-grandfather was the astronomer and geographer Friedrich Theodor Schubert (1758−1825), who emigrated to Russia from Germany around 1785. He became a full member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Science and head of its astronomical observatory. His son, Kovalevskaya’s maternal grandfather, was General Theodor Friedrich von Schubert (1789−1865), who was head of the military topographic service and an honorary member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as Director of the Kunstkamera.
Kovalevskaya showed intellectual promise from an early age and was encouraged by her father to pursue education. However, in Russia at the time, women had limited access to higher education. Undeterred by societal norms, she embarked on a journey to pursue her passion for mathematics. After completing her secondary education at a private boarding school in St. Petersburg, Kovalevskaya applied to the University of Moscow but was denied admission due to her gender. Determined to continue her studies, she sought acceptance elsewhere and was eventually granted permission to attend the University of Heidelberg in Germany, where women were allowed to study.
At the University of Heidelberg, Kovalevskaya faced numerous challenges but remained committed to her studies. She excelled in mathematics and physics, studying under renowned professors like Leo Königsberger and Hermann Von Helmholtz. In 1874, she submitted her doctoral thesis, On the Theory of Partial Differential Equations, becoming the first woman in history to earn a doctorate in mathematics. Her groundbreaking work on partial differential equations laid the foundation for future developments in the field.
Despite her academic achievements, Kovalevskaya still faced discrimination and struggled to secure a position in academia. In 1883, she was finally appointed as a full professor at Stockholm University, becoming the first woman to hold such a position in northern Europe. She made significant contributions to analysis, mechanics, and the study of rigid bodies, publishing several influential papers.
Kovalevskaya’s pioneering work and perseverance inspired future generations of women in mathematics. She broke barriers, challenging societal expectations and proving that women can excel in traditionally male-dominated fields. Her achievements earned her recognition and admiration from the international scientific community.
In addition to her mathematical accomplishments, Kovalevskaya was also involved in political and social activism. She was a supporter of the socialist movement and her sister, Anne Jaclard, was a well-known socialist. Kovalevskaya believed in the importance of education and advocated for equal opportunities for women in academia.
Tragically, Sofya Kovalevskaya’s life was cut short at the age of 41 due to pneumonia. Her contributions to mathematics and her role as a trailblazer for women in academia continue to be celebrated and recognized worldwide.