Sophie Germain

Sophie Germain was a French mathematician who lived from 1776 to 1831. She taught herself math by reading books in her father's library. She had to pretend to be a man to get her work taken seriously, but she became one of the great mathematicians of her time.

Teaching Herself Math

When Sophie was 13, she read about the ancient mathematician Archimedes and fell in love with math. Her parents did not want her to study it, but she kept learning in secret.

She read math books by candlelight at night. Her parents took away her candles and warm clothes, but she wrapped herself in blankets and kept studying. They finally gave in and supported her.

Her Contributions

Germain made important progress on a famous problem called Fermat's Last Theorem. She found a clever approach that no one had tried before. Special prime numbers she studied are now called Sophie Germain primes.

She also studied how surfaces vibrate, which helped engineers understand how buildings respond to earthquakes and wind.

Fun Facts

• Germain used the fake name Monsieur LeBlanc to send her math work to famous mathematicians.
• When the great mathematician Gauss learned she was a woman, he praised her talent even more.
• Sophie Germain primes are still important in computer security today.

Did You Know?

Sophie Germain's death certificate listed her as a property holder, not a mathematician. France did not recognize women as scholars at the time, even though she was one of the best!