Sofya Kovalevskaya short biography presentation. Sofia Kovalevskaya is an outstanding mathematician. Presentation on the topic: Sofya Vasilievna Kovalevskaya

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Sofia Kovalevskaya - an outstanding mathematician The first woman professor in Russia and Northern Europe

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Russian mathematician and mechanic Sofya Vasilievna Kovalevskaya (nee Korvin-Krukovskaya) (January 3 (15), 1850, Moscow - January 29 (February 10), 1891, Stockholm) - Russian mathematician and mechanic, since 1889 corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Wife of Vladimir Kovalevsky, sister of Anna Jacqular. The first female professor in Russia and Northern Europe and the first female professor of mathematics in the world (Maria Agnesi, who previously received this title, never taught).

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Daughter of Lieutenant General of Artillery V.V. Korvin-Krukovsky and Elizaveta Fedorovna (maiden name - Schubert). Kovalevskaya’s grandfather, infantry general F.F. Schubert, was an outstanding mathematician, and great-grandfather Schubert was an even more famous astronomer. Born in Moscow in January 1850, Kovalevskaya spent her childhood on the estate of her father, Polibino, Nevelsky district, Vitebsk province (now the village of Polibino, Velikoluksky district, Pskov region).

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First lessons The first lessons, in addition to governesses, were given to Kovalevskaya from the age of eight by her home tutor, the son of a small nobleman, Joseph Ignatievich Malevich, who published memories of his student in “Russian Antiquity” (December 1890). In 1866, Kovalevskaya traveled abroad for the first time, and then lived in St. Petersburg, where she took lessons in mathematical analysis from A. N. Strannolyubsky.

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Strannolyubsky, in his first lesson in differential calculus, was surprised at the speed with which Sonya mastered the concept of limit and derivative; “she knew everything exactly in advance.” And in fact, during the explanation, the girl suddenly clearly remembered those sheets of Ostrogradsky’s lectures that she had looked at on the wall of the nursery in Palibino.

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They were not embarrassed that this required entering into a fictitious marriage, since unmarried people were not accepted. They looked for a candidate for husband among commoners and impoverished nobles. In 1863, pedagogical courses with natural, mathematical and verbal departments were opened at the Mariinsky Women's Gymnasium. The Kryukovsky sisters were eager to go there to study.

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V.O. Kovalevsky Vladimir Onufrievich Kovalevsky was found as a “groom” for Anyuta. And it had to happen that on one of the dates he told Anyuta that he, of course, was ready to get married, but only... with Sofia Vasilievna. Soon he was introduced into the general's house and, with his consent, became Sophia's fiancé. He was 26 years old, Sophia was 18.

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Inheritance Sofya Kovalevskaya was born on January 3, 1850 in Moscow, where her father, artillery general Vasily Korvin-Krukovsky, served as head of the arsenal. Mother, Elisabeth Schubert, was 20 years younger than father. Subsequently, Kovalevskaya spoke about herself: “I inherited a passion for science from my ancestor, the Hungarian king Matthew Corvinus; love for mathematics, music, poetry - from my maternal grandfather, the astronomer Schubert; personal freedom - from Poland; from my gypsy great-grandmother - love to vagrancy and inability to obey accepted customs; the rest comes from Russia."

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Wedding On September 15, 1868, a wedding took place in a village church near Palibino. And soon in St. Petersburg, Sophia began secretly attending lectures. The girl soon realized that she only needed to study mathematics, and if now, in her young years, she did not devote herself exclusively to her favorite science, she could irreparably lose time! And Kovalevskaya, having passed the matriculation exam, returned to Strannolyubsky again to study mathematics more thoroughly before traveling abroad.

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S. V. Kovalevskaya

• 1850-1891

Sofya Vasilievna Kovalevskaya is the first Russian woman mathematician, who has an exceptional place in the history of the women's movement. The story of her life is the story of a girl who fell in love with freedom and mathematics. In the history of mankind, before Kovalevskaya, there was no woman equal to her in strength and originality of mathematical talent. S.I. Vavilov 1850–1891

• Elizaveta Fedorovna Korvin-Krukovskaya

• Vasily Vasilievich Korvin-Krukovsky

• Sofia Kovalevskaya was born on January 15, 1850 in Moscow, where her father, artillery general Vasily Korvin-Krukovsky, served as head of the arsenal. Mother, Elisabeth Schubert, was 20 years younger than father. Subsequently, Kovalevskaya spoke about herself: “I inherited a passion for science from my ancestor, the Hungarian king Matthew Corvinus; love for mathematics, music, poetry - from my maternal grandfather, the astronomer Schubert; personal freedom - from Poland; from my gypsy great-grandmother - love to vagrancy and inability to obey accepted customs; the rest comes from Russia."

Family estate Corwin - Krukovsky

• When Sonya was six years old, her father retired and settled on his family estate Palibino, in the Vitebsk province.
• First governess
• Krukovsky was French; She was more involved with Anna and had almost nothing to do with the younger children, whose upbringing was soon entrusted to the Englishwoman who replaced her.

Sofia and Anna Korvin-Krukovskaya

• The parents decided to redecorate the wooden house. We ordered wallpaper from St. Petersburg. But they didn’t calculate it, and there wasn’t enough wallpaper for the children’s room. We decided to simply cover it with paper, which had accumulated a lot in the attic. The wallpaper in the nursery turned out to be lithographed notes of lectures on differential and integral calculus by Academician Ostrogradsky, whom my father had once listened to.
• Looking at the walls of the nursery, 11-year-old Sonya noticed that some of the things that her uncle had talked about were depicted there. And she spent hours looking at the sheets covered with some kind of signs. In the most prominent place was a sheet with explanations of the concept of infinitesimal quantities and the limit. And when a few years later she began to study in St. Petersburg, she quickly mastered all mathematics. At night I spent my nights reading not fiction, but Bourdon’s algebra course. During the winter I took analytical geometry, differential and integral calculus.

• The girl knew all arithmetic so well and solved the most difficult problems so quickly that Malevich, before algebra, allowed her to study Bourdon’s two-volume arithmetic course, which was used at that time at the University of Paris.

• Seeing the girl’s mathematical success, one of the neighbors recommended that her father hire Navy Lieutenant Alexander Nikolaevich Strannolyubsky as Sonya’s teacher.
• Strannolyubsky, in his first lesson in differential calculus, was surprised at the speed with which Sonya mastered the concept of limit and derivative; “she knew everything exactly in advance.” And in fact, during the explanation, the girl suddenly clearly remembered those sheets of Ostrogradsky’s lectures that she had looked at on the wall of the nursery in Palibino.

• Vladimir Onufrievich captured the imagination of the young Palibino lady. His life was more fascinating than any novel. At the age of sixteen, he began to earn money by translating foreign novels for booksellers at Gostiny Dvor. He amazed everyone with his memory, abilities and extraordinary tendency to “participate in every movement.” Kovalevsky did not want to serve as an official and took up publishing in St. Petersburg. He translated and printed books that the advanced people of Russia needed.

• Vladimir Onufrievich Kovalevsky

• On September 15, 1868, a wedding took place in a village church near Palibino. And soon in St. Petersburg, Sophia began secretly attending lectures. The girl soon realized that she only needed to study mathematics, and if now, in her young years, she did not devote herself exclusively to her favorite science, she could irreparably lose time! And Kovalevskaya, having passed the matriculation exam, returned to Strannolyubsky again to study mathematics more thoroughly before traveling abroad.

• Karl Weierstrass

• In the name of her higher purpose, as she understood it, Sofya Vasilievna overcame her shyness and on October 3, 1870, went to Weierstrass in Berlin. Wanting to get rid of the annoying visitor, Professor Weierstrass offered her several problems on hyperbolic functions to test her knowledge from the category, even somewhat more difficult, that he gave to the most successful students of the mathematics department, and asked her to come back next week. In truth, Weierstrass managed to forget about the Russian’s visit when exactly a week later she appeared in his office again and reported that the problems had been solved!

• In 1869, the young couple left for Germany, Kovalevskaya attended lectures by leading scientists, and from 1870. she is seeking the right to study under the guidance of the German scientist Karl Weierstrass. The classes were private, since women were not admitted to the University of Berlin.

• In the fall of 1878, the Kovalevskys had a daughter. Kovalevskaya spent almost six months in bed. Doctors were losing hope of saving her. True, the young body won, but Sophia’s heart was struck by a serious illness.

• Sofya Kovalevskaya with her daughter Sonya

• On January 3, 1850 in Moscow in the family of General V.V. Korvin-Krukovsky's daughter Sophia was born.

• At the age of 15, she mastered all arithmetic, solved the most difficult problems perfectly, and a year later she studied analytical geometry, differential and integral calculus.

• 1868 - moved to Germany, attended lectures by Karl Weierstrass.

• At the age of 24 she received her Doctor of Science degree.

• 1883 - accepts an offer from Stockholm University to lecture in mathematics.

• December 6, 1888 - The Paris Academy of Sciences awards the young scientist the prestigious Borden Prize.

• 1889 – Corresponding Member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

“My duty is to serve science,” Kovalevskaya told herself. There was no reason to expect that Russia would allow her to do this. After the assassination of Alexander II, the time of liberal flirtations ended and unbridled reaction, executions, arrests and exiles began. The Kovalevskys hastily left Moscow. Sofya Vasilievna and her daughter went to Berlin, and Vladimir Onufrievich went to his brother in Odessa. Nothing connected them anymore.

• With a doctorate in philosophy, she returns to St. Petersburg and leaves mathematics for almost 6 years. At this time, her literary and journalistic activity began.

• Have you ever been indifferent
• Walking idle among the crowd,
• And suddenly some passionate song
• Do you accidentally hear sounds?
• An unexpected wave hits you
• The memory of previous years smelled
• And something sweet and dear
• The soul responded in response.
• It seemed to you that these sounds
• You heard it more than once as a child.
• So much happiness, bliss, torment
• They were remembered for you.
• You were in a hurry with your usual hearing
• I can catch a familiar tune,
• I wanted you behind every sound
• Follow every word.

• In 1880 Kovalevskaya moved to Moscow, but there she was not allowed to take master's exams at the university. She also failed to get a professorship at the Higher Women's Courses in Paris. Only in 1883 did she move to Sweden and begin working at Stockholm University, where a year later she became a professor. Over the course of 8 years, she gave 12 courses of lectures. The years of work at Stockholm University were the heyday of her scientific and literary activities.

• Sweden was waiting for Kovalevskaya. The newspapers wrote: “The princess of science, Mrs. Kovalevskaya, honored our city with her visit. She will be the first female private assistant professor in all of Sweden.”
• On January 30, 1884, Kovalevskaya gave her first lecture at Stockholm University, at the end of which the professors rushed to her, noisily thanking her and congratulating her on her brilliant start.
• The course given by Kovalevskaya in German was private in nature, but it gave her an excellent reputation. Late in the evening of June 24, 1884, Kovalevskaya learned that she had been “appointed professor for a period of five years.”

• In 1888 Kovalevskaya wrote the work “The Problem of the Rotation of a Rigid Body Around a Fixed Point,” adding one more to the two movements of the gyroscope discovered by L. Euler and J. Lagrange. For this work she was awarded the Prize of the Paris Academy of Sciences, the Borden Prize, and the amount of the prize was increased due to the high quality of the work.

• A year later, at the insistence
• P. L. Chebyshev and other Russian mathematicians, the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences elected Kovalevskaya as its corresponding member. Previously, for this purpose, a special resolution was adopted on awarding academic titles to women.

February 10, 1891 A long illness cut short the life of Sofia Vasilievna Kovalevskaya. Her lips uttered the last words: "Too much happiness!" Her German teacher, who came to the funeral, laid a wreath of white lilies on the grave with the inscription "Sone from Weierstrasse."

• Goodbye! With your glory, having parted with us forever, You will live in the memory of people With other glorious minds, Until the wonderful starlight pours from heaven to earth And in the host of shining planets the Ring of Saturn is eclipsed... (

• The only Russian who managed to quickly get from Nice to Stockholm was M. Kovalevsky, who delivered a farewell speech over her grave. Russian women raised money for a granite cross, which still stands on the Swedish grave of the Russian scientist.

Museum-Estate of Sofia Kovalevskaya

• The memorial museum is located in the village of Polibino, 25 km from Velikiye Luki, on the former estate of father S.V. Kovalevskaya General Vasily Vasilyevich Korvin-Krukovsky. The main manor house and the outbuilding have been preserved. 19th century, built according to the design of the outstanding Russian artist and architect A.P. Bryullov. Part of the memorial estate park has also been preserved.

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First female mathematician Hypatia

Hypatia of Alexandrovskaya

In ancient Greek science, the most famous was Hypatia. She was beautiful, eloquent, charming. She was wise, modest, and charmed with her beauty and the powers of her mind. She studied mathematics, astronomy, medicine, mechanics, and philosophy. Hypatia was not only a scientist, but also a public figure. She also amazed me with her logic, rigor of judgment and passionate love for science.

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“I feel that I am destined to serve truth-science and pave a new path for women because it means serving justice. I am very glad that I was born a woman, as it gives me the opportunity to serve truth and justice at the same time.” S.V.Kovalevskaya

"PRINCESS OF SCIENCE" SOFIA VASILIEVNA KOVALEVSKAYA

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Sofia Kovalevskaya was born in Moscow on January 15, 1850. Her father, V.V. Korvin-Krukovsky, was a large nobleman and an artillery general. After retiring, the general moved with his family from Moscow to his Palibino estate near the border with Lithuania. Her mother, Elizaveta Fedorovna, was the granddaughter of the great mathematician F.I. Schubert. At the time of the move, Sonya was about six years old. And as you know, girls at that age, even from noble families, had to study music, literature, mathematics and languages, at home - alone.

Sonya's childhood

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In addition to school teachers, she also studied with her home teacher I.I. Malevich, who was proud of her literary abilities and had high hopes for her future. But Sonechka seriously decided to take up mathematics. In 1866, during a winter trip to St. Petersburg, she began studying higher mathematics with the famous teacher A.N. Strannolyubsky.

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Sonya could only receive higher education abroad...

S. Kovalevskaya wrote: If in life, even for a moment, you felt the Truth in your heart, If a ray of truth through darkness and doubt illuminated your path with a bright radiance: So that in its unchangeable decision Fate does not assign you ahead - Keep the memory of this sacred moment forever, like a shrine in the chest. The clouds will gather in a discordant mass, the sky will be covered with a black haze, with clear determination, with calm faith you will meet the storm and face the thunderstorm.

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In order to study abroad, Sophia enters into a fictitious marriage with paleontologist Vladimir Onufrievich Kovalevsky. But very soon they fell in love with each other, and their marriage became valid. Then they had a daughter, who was named Sonya.

Study abroad

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In 1869, the Kovalevsky couple left for Germany to improve their knowledge and scientific work.

Arriving in Heidelberg, Sophia went to the famous physicist Kirchhoff in the hope that he would allow her to attend lectures on physics and mathematics. But he said that she should ask permission from Vice-Rector Kopp. As a result, this case was transferred to a special commission.

“A lot will be exacted from that person to whom many talents have been given.”

S.V.Kovalevskaya

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After all sorts of refusals, the commission dared to allow Sofya Kovalevskaya to attend lectures. Professors admired her ability to grasp and assimilate material on the fly. At lectures, she became acquainted with the works of Weierstrass, who admired her. In the name of her higher purpose, as she understood it, Sofya Vasilievna overcame her shyness and on October 3, 1870, went to Weierstrass in Berlin.

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After arriving in Berlin, Sonya decided to continue her studies. But she was not allowed to attend lectures at the University of Berlin, under the pretext so familiar to her: “Women are not accepted here.” Sophia, with her tough character, did not stop there, and still achieved the attention of the famous scientist Karl Weierstrass. She amazed him with her knowledge, and despite the fact that she was not accepted into the university, he agreed to give her lessons. She soon became his favorite student. Sofya Vasilyevna sat at her desk from morning to evening. On Sunday afternoons, she went to classes with the professor, and during the week he himself visited her.

Sofia Vasilievna's acquaintance with Weierstrass

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Sofya Vasilyevna devoted the winter of 1873 and the spring of 1874 to the study “Towards the Theory of Partial Differentials”

To the great amazement of Weierstrass, Sofya Vasilievna found a completely different solution, masterfully reduced everything complex to simple and discovered some special cases that mathematicians did not even suspect. Kovalevskaya's work aroused the admiration of scientists.

Karl Weierstrass

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November 18, 1883 Sophia arrives in Stockholm. The Stockholm newspaper gave Sofya Vasilievna Kovalevskaya the title “Princess of Science” and informed the Swedish people that: “Mrs. Kovalevskaya honored our city with her visit and will be the first female privatdocent in all of Sweden.” On January 30, 1884, Kovalevskaya gave her first lecture at Stockholm University, which the professors really liked.

Work in Stockholm

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The course given by Sofia Kovalevskaya in German gave her an excellent reputation. On the evening of June 24, 1884, she learned that she had been “appointed professor for a period of five years.” At this university, Sofya Vasilievna taught 12 courses over 8 years. Her lectures were a success. Here in Stockholm she met a man with whom she decided to connect her destiny, his name was Maxim Kovalevsky. But due to Sophia’s increased demands, their relationship failed.

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“The poet must... see what others do not see, see deeper than others. And a mathematician should do the same.” S.V. Kovalevskaya.

After which she finally decided to tackle the problem of the rotation of a heavy rigid body around a fixed point, which boils down to the integration of a certain system of equations that always has three definite algebraic integrals. In cases where it is possible to find the fourth integral, the problem is solved completely...

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Sophia was very homesick for her homeland, for the Russian people, and in 1890 she returned to Russia, in the hope that she would be elected as a member of the academy in place of the deceased mathematician Bunyakovsky, which would allow her to pursue science in her country. But Russia refused her, and she decided to return to Stockholm. And on January 29, 1891, without regaining consciousness, Sofya Kovalevskaya died of heart palsy, at the age of forty-one, at the very dawn of her creative life.

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