Date of Birth: January 15, 1850
Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
Date of Death: February 10, 1891
Biography
Sofia Kovalevskaya, born as Sofia Vasilyevna Korvin-Krukovskaya, was a pioneering Russian mathematician, writer, and advocate for women’s rights. She was born on January 15, 1850, in Moscow, Russia. Known for her significant contributions to analysis, partial differential equations, and mechanics, she became the first major Russian female mathematician and one of the first women to work as a university professor in Europe. Kovalevskaya’s early education was influenced by her family’s intellectual environment and private tutors. She later attended the University of Heidelberg and the University of Berlin, where she studied under Karl Weierstrass, who recognized her exceptional talent in mathematics. Despite the barriers she faced as a woman, Kovalevskaya earned her doctorate from the University of Göttingen in 1874, presenting a dissertation on partial differential equations that garnered high praise. In 1884, she was appointed as a professor at Stockholm University, making her the first woman in Northern Europe to hold such a position. Her academic work extended beyond mathematics into literature, as she was also a writer of novels and plays. Kovalevskaya’s life was marked by her fight for gender equality and her passion for mathematics, which left a lasting legacy in both fields. Sofia Kovalevskaya passed away on February 10, 1891, in Stockholm, Sweden, at the age of 41.
5 Interesting Facts about Sofia Kovalevskaya
1. Sofia Kovalevskaya was the first woman to hold a full professorship in Northern Europe.
2. She authored a notable novel titled “Nihilist Girl,” reflecting her engagement with social and political issues.
3. Kovalevskaya made significant contributions to the theory of partial differential equations, including the Cauchy-Kovalevskaya theorem.
4. She was awarded the prestigious Prix Bordin by the French Academy of Sciences in 1888 for her work on the rotation of a solid body around a fixed point.
5. Sofia was a friend and correspondent of the famous writer Fyodor Dostoevsky, who admired her intellect and spirit.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Sofia Kovalevskaya
1. “Say what you know, do what you must, come what may.”
2. “It is impossible to be a mathematician without being a poet in soul.”
3. “Many who have never had any special talent for mathematics have become competent mathematicians.”
4. “The more I know, the more I realize how much I have yet to learn.”
5. “The world of mathematics is a world of possibilities, of infinite potential.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
There is no documented evidence of Sofia Kovalevskaya’s net worth. Her contributions were primarily academic and intellectual rather than financial.
Children
Sofia Kovalevskaya had one daughter, Sofia “Fufa” Vladimirovna Kovalevskaya, born in 1878. She was deeply cherished by her mother.
Relevant Links
1. [Sofia Kovalevskaya – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia_Kovalevskaya
