Math and Culture by David Boynikara https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138 en-us 2021-12-13 10:19:21 UTC 2026-01-23 00:58:38 UTC hello@padlet.com Srinivasa Ramanujan dboynikara https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944138936 2021-12-13 10:27:40 UTC https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944138936 Sophie Germain dboynikara https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944139751 Sophie Germain was a French mathematician, philosopher and physicist (1776-1831). She is best known for her work in number theory: Germain proved that if x, y, and z are integers and if x5 + y5 = z5 then either x, y, or z must be divisible by 5. Germain's theorem is a major step toward proving Fermat's last theorem for the case where n equals 5". Fermat's last theorem says that if x, y, z, and n are integers then xn + yn = zn cannot be solved for any n greater than 2.

Due to societal norms, Germain was refrained from studying and started to learn maths on her own with the help of her father's library books. In addition, she also taught herself Latin and Greek so she could understand the works of important mathematicians such as Newton and Euler. 

Sophie Germain had a passion for math, but her parents restricted her for learning it as it was seen as not appropriate for women. They made her room cooler and other measures to deter her from pursuing her passion, but she always found a way to still learn and eventually became on of the greatest mathematicians developing various theories. 

In, 1794, when Sophie was 18, the Ecole Polytechnique was founded in Paris. Because she was a woman she was not allowed to enrol but however managed to obtain lecture notes from several courses and learn from them. In addition, she also started to write letters to a famous mathematician, Lagrange, under a male pseudonym which allowed her to "talk" to him. He recognised her mathematical talents and decided to be her mentor despite the societal influences of women not being allowed to study.

Sophie Germain died at the age of 55, on June 27, 1831, after a battle with breast cancer. Shortly before this Gauss, one of her earliest mentors had convinced the University of Gottingen to give Sophie an honorary degree. She died before she could receive it.

Sophie Germain was a revolutionary. She battled against the social prejudices of the era and a lack of formal training in order to become a celebrated mathematician.



 
]]> 2021-12-13 10:28:09 UTC https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944139751 Katherine Johnson dboynikara https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944140126 Katherine Johnson worked for NASA as an engineer for more than 30 years. During that time, NASA had finally opened up to black men and later on also women. This made a change in history allowing women and black women to be employed. She retired in 1986. Katherine Johnsen broke the barriers of race and gender. She enjoyed traveling, playing card games, and spending time with her family and friends and her big dream was to communicate and help students gain their confidence.]]> 2021-12-13 10:28:24 UTC https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944140126 Maryam Mirzakhani dboynikara https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944140450 - (women) Iranian mathematician 
- got the medal in 2014 for substantial contributions to the field of hyperbolic geometry 
- given up math, as the grade 6 teacher demotivated her
- her ideology was that when finding it difficult, it is best to develop a new rule or angle 
- explored and understood math from her perspective: visualized ideas (drew shapes, sketches, etc.) 
- creative space to unravel problems 
- tackled math with renewed confidence, initially developed through the guidance of a new instructor 

]]> 2021-12-13 10:28:36 UTC https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944140450 Georg Cantor https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944185976 Early life:
- Born in St. Petersburg, Russia March 3rd 1845.
- Moved to Germany when he was 11 years old. 
- He excelled in maths and was a violist. 
- He studied maths in the university of Berlin
- He showed us that there are different sizes of infinity. 

]]> 2021-12-13 10:59:48 UTC https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944185976 Georg Cantor: Set Theory https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944188912 Set theory is when two sets of data are compared in terms of overlap and differences. This is easily seen with the concept of a Venn Diagram which speaks about the union of two data sets. Additionally, it divides numbers into sets that are based on the properties of the numbers, including integers, rational numbers, real numbers, etc. His work can be summed up as comparing numbers on a singular basis within a set as a whole

]]> 2021-12-13 11:01:52 UTC https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944188912 Srinivasa Ramanujan vchoksi3 https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944190019 Poverty limited his chances to become a well-known mathematician. He also only learned about math and failed every subject except math. Because he was in poverty, he was forced to tutor children in South India. But, other Indian mathematicians encouraged him to show his work to British mathematicians. All of them rejected his work as there were no proofs to support his theorem. However, G.H. Hardy recognised his diverse way of thinking and invited him over to Cambridge to explore his ideas. At first, his work was not published as there was no proof of his theorems. 

Furthermore, racism in the UK also stopped his work from getting published. But finally, Hardy helped him publish his work as he learned how to prove his theorems. His theorem for pi is still used to this day in satellites, navigation and more. Culture in South India restricted his brilliant thinking as he was born into poverty and only knew about maths. Furthermore, when moving to the UK, he got discriminated against due to his background and his work was not taken seriously. ]]> 2021-12-13 11:02:46 UTC https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944190019 Georg Cantor: Infinity https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944201751 Cantor defined the properties of infinity, which at the time of his life was a heard-of but poorly understood concept in the mathematical field. This idea was based off of his idea of set theory and bijective functions, which had been developed prior to his defining of infinity. Based on set notation, he was able to discern that the infinity based on cardinal numbers was larger than that of the infinity based on natural numbers.]]> 2021-12-13 11:11:06 UTC https://padlet.com/dboynikara/4iqhlat28tmhi138/wish/1944201751