Sonya (Sofia) Kovalevskaya

Soyna Korvin-Krukovsky was born in 1850 in Moscow to a family of the minor nobility because her father was a artillery general. As a child she became exposed to mathematics from wallpaper. Her house as a child was getting renovated, and one of her siblings' rooms was temporarily wallpapered with  lithographed notes of Ostrogradski's lecture notes on differential and integral calculus. Sonya would spend hours looking at the wallpaper, trying to decide which order the sheets belonged in, trying to decipher each and every phrase on the wall. Her father had her educated by a professor at the naval academy, and math just came easy to her.

In Russia, it was ludicrous for women to seek higher education, because Russia felt they did not deserve the same post-school training as men. However, if women married, they could attend universities outside of Russia, and that is exactly what Sonya did. In 1868 Sonya married Vladimir Kovalevsky, and together they went to Germany to study. In Germany Sonya studied with Weierstrass, who claimed that she had "the gift of intuitive genius." Unfortunately, Sonya could not study at the University of Berling with Weirestrass, so he privately tutored her for four years. She wrote outstanding research papers, and through her research, she qualified for a doctorate without the need of an examination. Alas, Sonya received a higher degree in mathematics with high honor!

Whenever she returned to Russia, she taught classes specifically for women at several universities. She taught many courses in advanced topics in analysis.  In 1888 she received the famous Prix Bordin for her paper On the Rotation of a Solid Body About a Fixed Point.  Sonya was a honorary mathematician, and everyone knew! Three years after receiving the award, she passed away from influenza. She was in the height of her career at this point, but still made remarkable contributions to mathematics and women's rights. Sonya made men during her time reconsider that women have the capabilities to be just as smart as men! Without Sonya, we may never be able to study mathematics, publicly, and freely. Thank you Sonya!!

References and Photo:

The History of Mathematics- David Burton

http://www.quotedb.org/quote/Sofia_Kovalevskaya/1

http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/kova.htm