The First Woman to Make a Substantial Contribution to Mathematics
Episode 1
By: Mary Nan Hayes
Photograph of Hypatia of Alexandria
Website: Nasa
Web link: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020113.html
The
History of Hypatia
Hypatia was history's best-known ancient female mathematician, inventor and philosopher. She is a role model for aspiring women scientists. She was born around AD 370 in the Greek city of Alexandria. By AD 400 she had become the head of the neo-Platonist school in Alexandria. Hypatia received her great education from her father Theon. He taught mathematics at the University of Alexandria but was a librarian and philosopher as well. Hypatia grew up with great intellectual freedom, and her father made sure she got the best education possible. Hypatia's extreme knowledge was apparent; even at a young age she out shined her father. She became a powerful orator, and she would walk through the streets interpreting Plato and Aristotle. Students would come from all over to learn from her. She taught many students that later held high government positions. She was not only known for her intelligence but also for her charismatic personality and beauty. Political rivals Cryil, the Patriarch or Alexandria, and Orestes, the Roman perfect of Alexandria both fought for control over church and state. Hypatia became a controversial figure because she was a woman and because of her philosophical views. She became the focus of riots between Alexandrian Christians and Alexandrian non-Christians. Hypatia's friendship with Orestes lead to her death.
Inventions and Contributions
One of Hypatia's students, Synesius of Cyrene, wrote letters attributing the invention of the astrolabe to Hypatia. An astrolabe is a device used to study astronomy. It is an ancient computer used to tell the place of the stars and sun in the sky. Although she made advances in astronomy she is most noted for her work in mathematics. She is considered to be the first woman to truly impact mathematics. She contributed greatly to the ideas of conic sections first put out by Apollonius. She revised the work On the Conics of Apollonius. Her work extended the concepts of hyperbolas, parabolas, and ellipses. She is credited with the authorship of three major treatises on geometry and algebra and one on astronomy. She invented several tools: an instrument for distilling water, an instrument to measure the specific gravity of water, and a planisphere. Later Newton, Descartes, and Leibniz expanded on her work.
Her Tragic Ending
Although known for her accomplishments she is also known for the tragic ending of her life. Hypatia was known for her pagan views on religion and lived in a time when Christianity was starting to try and control other religions. One dark night, on the way home from the Alexandrian Museum Hypatia was attacked by a group of monks who followed Cyril, the Patriarch of Alexandria. They peeled off her flesh with pieces of broken oyster shells, dragged her through the streets, and burnt her remains.
Quotes from Hypatia
"All formal dogmatic religions are fallacious and must never be accepted by self-respecting persons as final."
I think that Hypatia made huge advances in the study of mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy. I think that it is important to know about her and the contributions that she made. I think that her life was interesting and her death tragic. Hypatia was a woman who made extraordinary accomplishments for a woman in her time. Historians, scholars, and philosophers consider her to be a great teacher and a woman of incredible knowledge.
References
Secondary Source:
Ogilvie, Marilyn Bailey ed. The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science : Pioneering Lives From Ancient Times to the Mid-20th Century. Vol I.
New York : Routledge, 2000. pp. 637-639.
Primary Source:
Deakin, A. B. Michael. The Primary Sources for the Life and Work of Hypatia of Alexandria. http://www.polyamory.org/~howard/Hypatia/primary-sources.html
Bibliography:
Adair, Ginny. Hypatia. Biographies of Women in Mathematics. (1998). http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/hypatia.htm. 28 February 2005.
Hypatia. Columbia Encyclopedia. Academic Search Elite.
Hypatia. http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/HYPATIA.html. 28 February 2005.
The Word Hypatia. New Scientist. Vol. 177, Issue 2385, p53. Academic Search Elite.
Author's note
From looking at and researching various topics I have gathered, what I think, are the most important details and aspects of Hypatia's life. I have summarized the most important details from my secondary sources. I gathered my secondary source from the University of Oklahoma library. My other sources are from the University of Oklahoma libraries' website utilizing the database Academic Search Elite. The other two sources I used came from education websites that seemed very familiar with the subject matter.
send me an email
project.html
Introduction
Hildegard- Episode 2
Margaret Cavendish- Episode 3
Hypatia was history's best-known ancient female mathematician, inventor and philosopher. She is a role model for aspiring women scientists. She was born around AD 370 in the Greek city of Alexandria. By AD 400 she had become the head of the neo-Platonist school in Alexandria. Hypatia received her great education from her father Theon. He taught mathematics at the University of Alexandria but was a librarian and philosopher as well. Hypatia grew up with great intellectual freedom, and her father made sure she got the best education possible. Hypatia's extreme knowledge was apparent; even at a young age she out shined her father. She became a powerful orator, and she would walk through the streets interpreting Plato and Aristotle. Students would come from all over to learn from her. She taught many students that later held high government positions. She was not only known for her intelligence but also for her charismatic personality and beauty. Political rivals Cryil, the Patriarch or Alexandria, and Orestes, the Roman perfect of Alexandria both fought for control over church and state. Hypatia became a controversial figure because she was a woman and because of her philosophical views. She became the focus of riots between Alexandrian Christians and Alexandrian non-Christians. Hypatia's friendship with Orestes lead to her death.
Inventions and Contributions
One of Hypatia's students, Synesius of Cyrene, wrote letters attributing the invention of the astrolabe to Hypatia. An astrolabe is a device used to study astronomy. It is an ancient computer used to tell the place of the stars and sun in the sky. Although she made advances in astronomy she is most noted for her work in mathematics. She is considered to be the first woman to truly impact mathematics. She contributed greatly to the ideas of conic sections first put out by Apollonius. She revised the work On the Conics of Apollonius. Her work extended the concepts of hyperbolas, parabolas, and ellipses. She is credited with the authorship of three major treatises on geometry and algebra and one on astronomy. She invented several tools: an instrument for distilling water, an instrument to measure the specific gravity of water, and a planisphere. Later Newton, Descartes, and Leibniz expanded on her work.
Her Tragic Ending
Although known for her accomplishments she is also known for the tragic ending of her life. Hypatia was known for her pagan views on religion and lived in a time when Christianity was starting to try and control other religions. One dark night, on the way home from the Alexandrian Museum Hypatia was attacked by a group of monks who followed Cyril, the Patriarch of Alexandria. They peeled off her flesh with pieces of broken oyster shells, dragged her through the streets, and burnt her remains.
Quotes from Hypatia
"All formal dogmatic religions are fallacious and must never be accepted by self-respecting persons as final."
"Reserve your right to think, for even to think wrongly is better than not to think at all."
"To teach superstitions as truth is a most terrible thing."
My ThoughtsI think that Hypatia made huge advances in the study of mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy. I think that it is important to know about her and the contributions that she made. I think that her life was interesting and her death tragic. Hypatia was a woman who made extraordinary accomplishments for a woman in her time. Historians, scholars, and philosophers consider her to be a great teacher and a woman of incredible knowledge.
References
Secondary Source:
Ogilvie, Marilyn Bailey ed. The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science : Pioneering Lives From Ancient Times to the Mid-20th Century. Vol I.
New York : Routledge, 2000. pp. 637-639.
Primary Source:
Deakin, A. B. Michael. The Primary Sources for the Life and Work of Hypatia of Alexandria. http://www.polyamory.org/~howard/Hypatia/primary-sources.html
Bibliography:
Adair, Ginny. Hypatia. Biographies of Women in Mathematics. (1998). http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/hypatia.htm. 28 February 2005.
Hypatia. Columbia Encyclopedia. Academic Search Elite.
Hypatia. http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/HYPATIA.html. 28 February 2005.
The Word Hypatia. New Scientist. Vol. 177, Issue 2385, p53. Academic Search Elite.
Author's note
From looking at and researching various topics I have gathered, what I think, are the most important details and aspects of Hypatia's life. I have summarized the most important details from my secondary sources. I gathered my secondary source from the University of Oklahoma library. My other sources are from the University of Oklahoma libraries' website utilizing the database Academic Search Elite. The other two sources I used came from education websites that seemed very familiar with the subject matter.
send me an email
project.html
Introduction
Hildegard- Episode 2
Margaret Cavendish- Episode 3