Portal:Feminism/Selected biography/29

Amalie Emmy Noether, (1882 - 1935) was a German Jewish mathematician who is known for her seminal contributions to abstract algebra. Often described as the most important woman in the history of mathematics, she revolutionized the theories of rings, fields, and algebras. She is also known for her contributions to modern theoretical physics, especially for the first Noether's theorem which explains the connection between symmetry and conservation laws. Born in the Bavarian town of Erlangen to the noted mathematician Max Noether, Emmy originally planned to teach French and English after passing the required examinations. She did not pursue languages, however, and studied mathematics at the University of Erlangen, where her father lectured. After completing her dissertation in 1907 under the supervision of Paul Gordan, she worked at the Mathematical Institute of Erlangen without pay for seven years. In 1915, she was invited by David Hilbert and Felix Klein to join the mathematics department at the University of Göttingen. The Philosophical faculty objected, however, and she spent four years lecturing under Hilbert's name. Her Habilitation process was approved in 1919, paving the way for her to obtain the rank of Privatdozent. By the time she delivered a major address at the 1932 International Congress of Mathematicians in Zürich, her algebraic acumen was recognized around the world. She remained at Göttingen until 1933 when she was fired by Germany's Nazi government, and she moved to the United States, where she took a position at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. In 1935, she underwent surgery for an ovarian cyst and, despite signs of speedy recovery, died four days later at the age of 53.