mathematicians Flashcards
Grace Hopper
Grace Hopper was a computer scientist, mathematician and US Navy admiral. She is known for pioneering work in computer programming, languages and software development. She created the first compiler for computers which converted programming languages into computer-readable code. Additionally, guided the development of COBOL, which is a popular coding language. During her time with the military, she made the computer systems more accessible and easier to access. Her groundbreaking contributions significantly influenced computer science and how the US military operates their computers.
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson was a NASA mathematician and aerospace technologist. She was one of the first African-American women to work at NASA. Her orbital mechanics calculations played a vital role in sending astronauts to space. Her work significantly associated NASA in sending astronauts to space and to the moon. Later in her life, she became a pioneer for racial and gender equality in fields of mathematics and aerospace technology.
Danica McKellar
Danica McKellar is an actress and a mathematician. Outside of her mathematics career, she starred in many Hallmark shows and movies. She has written numerous math books targeted at teenagers encouraging them to succeed and enjoy math. Additionally, she proved a groundbreaking physics theorem, named the Chayes-McKellar-Winn theorem, which she published in a prestigious physics journal.
Gladys West
Gladys West is an African-American mathematician. She is best known for her contributions to the mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth. Her work on calculating the shape of the earth was critical to the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Additionally, she worked for the US Navy where she collected and interpreted data from satellites to calculate their positions and orbits. She is the only African-American woman to be inducted into the Air Force Missile and Space hall of fame.
Mildred Dresselhaus
Mildred Dresselhaus was a physicist and electrical engineer. She is known as the “Queen of Carbon Science” for her important research on carbon-based materials. She advanced the work done on graphene and carbon nanotubes. Her significant contributions influenced developments in energy storage and efficiency. These contributions helped improve medical, mechanical and electrical technology. She was also an advocate for the inclusion of women into physics and engineering.
Shafi Goldwasser
Shafi Goldwasser is a renowned computer scientist and cryptographer. She significantly contributed to the development of probabilistic encryption, advancing the security and safety of messages and computer data. She made groundbreaking contributions to the world of theoretical computer science and cryptography. In 2012, she won the Turing Award (highest award in computer science) for her contributions to cryptography.
John Urschel
John Urshcel is a mathematician and former NFL offensive lineman. His work is focused in applied mathematics, particularly in fields such as matrix and numerical analysis and linear algebra. His work allows for finding effective and accurate solutions to problems in math. Additionally, his research aids in developing solutions to large-scale real world problems in engineering, computer science and society.
Emily Noether
Emily Noether was a German mathematician with many contributions to abstract algebra. She developed Noether’s theorem which established a connection between symmetries and conservation laws in physics. This theory is a fundamental part of quantum mechanics and relativity. Additionally, she worked on ring and group theory and topology. She faced many struggles and obstacles as a woman mathematician in the early 20th century.
