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This biography traces the life and work of Mary Fairfax Somerville, whose extraordinary mathematical talent only came to light through fortuitous circumstances. Barely taught to read and write as a child, all the science she learned and mastered was self taught. In this delightful narrative the author takes up the challenge of discovering how Somerville came to be one of the most outstanding British women scientists and, furthermore, a popular writer. Particular attention is paid to the gender aspects of Somerville's success in what was, to put it mildly, a predominantly male domain.
List of contents
A peculiar childhood.- The two marriages.- New horizons in Paris.- The Grand Tour to Italy.- The nomadic life.- Portrait of a lady.- Taking part in the unification of Italy.- The death of William Somerville.- Garibaldi, the hero she never met.- Life in Naples.- A peaceful end.- Conclusions.
About the author
Elisabetta Strickland is full professor of Algebra at the Department of Mathematics of the University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata”. She was Deputy-President of the National Institute of Advanced Mathematics from 2007 to 2015. In 2014 she became a member of the Women in Mathematics Committee of the European Mathematical Society and, in 2015, President of the Central Committee for the promotion of equal opportunities, workers’ welfare and non-discrimination (CUG) of her University. She is also co-founder of the Gender Interuniversity Observatory GIO of the state Universities of Rome. She is the author of “Scienziate d’Italia”, Donzelli Ed. 2011. In 2013 the Capitoline Administration awarded her the Prize “Excellent Women in Rome”.
Summary
This biography traces the life and work of Mary Fairfax Somerville, whose extraordinary mathematical talent only came to light through fortuitous circumstances. Barely taught to read and write as a child, all the science she learned and mastered was self taught. In this delightful narrative the author takes up the challenge of discovering how Somerville came to be one of the most outstanding British women scientists and, furthermore, a popular writer. Particular attention is paid to the gender aspects of Somerville's success in what was, to put it mildly, a predominantly male domain.
Additional text
“Mary Fairfax Somerville, a British woman also called ‘the Queen of Science,’ was the last representative of a category of scholars with a wide range of interests. … in this biography the author, the mathematician Elisabetta Strickland, emphasizes above all her familial and professional relationships. … This book is a pleasant and sliding reading, suitable especially for those who have no scientific basis.” (Gabriella Bernardi, Astrocom et al., astrocometal.blogspot.de, July, 2017)
Report
"Mary Fairfax Somerville, a British woman also called 'the Queen of Science,' was the last representative of a category of scholars with a wide range of interests. ... in this biography the author, the mathematician Elisabetta Strickland, emphasizes above all her familial and professional relationships. ... This book is a pleasant and sliding reading, suitable especially for those who have no scientific basis." (Gabriella Bernardi, Astrocom et al., astrocometal.blogspot.de, July, 2017)
