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The Lost MathematiciansSeriesForgotten (or lesser known)

Men and Women of Mathematics,Their Stories Uncovered

And Secrets Revealed.

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Hypatia

There was a woman at Alexandria named Hypatia, daughter of the philosopher Theon, who

made such attainments in literature and science, as to far surpass all the philosphers of her

own time. Having succeeded to the school of Plato and Plotinus, she explained the principles

of philsophy to her auditors, many of whom came from a distance to receive her

instructions. On account of the self-possession and ease of manner which she had acquired

in consequence of the cultivation of her mind, she not infrequently appeared in public in the

presence of the magistrates. Neither did she feel abashed in going to an assembly of men.

For all men on account of her extraordinary dignity and virtue admired her the more.- Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History

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Facts

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Born: AD 350 370 Died: 415

Daughter of Theon, a mathematician andastronomer

The Last of the Early Greek Mathematicians

Alexandrine Neoplatonist Philosopher in Egypt,

belonged to the Academy of Athens

First well-documented woman in mathematics

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Hypatias Life

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She lived in Alexandria in Egypt and worked as alecturer at the University of Alexandria.

She taught geometry, astronomy, simple

mechanics, philosophy and algebra.

Her students came from Europe, Asia, and Africa.

She taught Platoand Aristotles teachings to anystudent despite affiliations: Christians, pagans, andforeigners.

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Beliefs and Teachings

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Believed in logical, mathematical

studies instead of experimental

questioning.

Focused on law in place of nature.

Head of the Platonist School atAlexandria,where she taught

philosophy and astronomy.

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Work in Mathematics

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In mathematics, her main interest was Algebra.

Her work built on the work of Diophantus, the

founder of modern Algebra.

She also wrote and edited essays about conic

sections.

Although never able to formally propose her

findings, Hypatia is said to have studied theplanetary paths and their elliptical rather than

circular trajectories.

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Watch Her Discover the Shape of

Earths Orbit!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUUB1u8xJA4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUUB1u8xJA4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUUB1u8xJA4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUUB1u8xJA4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUUB1u8xJA4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUUB1u8xJA4

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Inventions(Some debate to whether she was the main inventor or a contributor)

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Inventions(Some debate to whether she was the main inventor or a contributor)

Plane Astrolabe

Used by astronomers and navigators to locate the position

of the planets and stars; ability to calculate the time and

predict sunsets and sunrises.

Graduated brass hydrometer

Measures the strength of a liquid by measuring the specific

gravity of the liquid.

Hydroscope

Used to see below water; tube with lenses angled to see

objects under water by reflecting the image onto a boat deck.

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Social Effects

Instead of dressing in the clothing typical of women of thetime period, Hypatia dressed in the clothing of a scholar orteacher.

She also displayed an uncharacteristic freedom ofmovement: she drove her own chariot, entered mensdwellings at the University, and was often sought after forpolitical advice by Alexandrias governor (until a certain

controversy )

Because of her pagan-affiliations, she fell into a politicalstate of unrest between Jews and Christians

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Death

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Cyril, a bishop in the city, and Hypatia did not agree. She was a heretic anda pagan who gave advice to Orestes, the Roman Governor, who was mad atCyril for attempting to banish Jews from Alexandria. Most of all, though,she was an extremely intelligent woman who failed to stay in her place.

In 415 Cyril preached to a roaring mob against Hypatia. Led by Christianmonks, they attacked her chariot, and dragged her out of it.

The monks and Christians stripped Hypatia, dragged her through the streetsuntil she was nearly dead, publicly tortured her, ripped her flesh off with

old bricks, dismembered her, and burned her remains in CaesareumLibrary.

Her death sparked massacres of both Christians and Jews and led to Jewsbeing banished from Alexandria

Yet her Neoplatonic school continued and mathematics rose in Alexandriauntil 642 (Arab invasion).

Cyril later became a saint.

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Timeline Connection: Then to Now

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Since the early 1700s, Hypatia has been seen as a martyr ortemptress of religious freedom, feminism, and a philosopherworth honoring with many prestigious tributes:

Early 1700s: John Toland used Hypatias murder for anti-Catholicism with his pamphlet Hypatia: Or the History of amost beautiful, most vertuous, most learned, and everywayaccomplishdLady; who was torn to pieces by the

Clergy of Alexandria, to gratify the pride, emulation, andcruelty of their Archbishop, commonly, but undeservedly,stil'd St. Cyril

1721: Catholics responded with: The History of Hypatia, amost Impudent School-Mistress of Alexandria: Murder'dand torn to Pieces by the Populace, in Defence of Saint Cyriland the Alexandrian Clergy from the Aspersions of Mr.Toland

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Then and Now, Continued: 1843, German authors Soldan and Heppe,History of the Witchcraft Trials

believe Hypatia may have been the first well-known "witch" killed by

Christians.

1847:Hypatie is the portrayal of Hypatia as vulnerable truth and

beauty by the French poet Charles-Marie-Rene Leconte de Lisle.

1884: A main asteroid belt is named 238 Hypatia (also a lunar crater was

later named for her).

1986: Indiana University publishedHypatia: A Journal of Feminist

Philosphy to claim her as a leader of second wave feminism.

1990s: Hypatia appears as a kidnapped philosopher in the episode Timeand the Rani from the showDoctor Who.

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Then and Now, Continued:

2007:Hypatia of Alexandria: Mathematician and Martyr, abrief biography (113 pages) focusing on her as a universalgeniusand working through her research is published.

2009: MovieAgora made about Hypatias last years. Showsher studying elliptical orbits and the heliocentric model ofthe solar system (although not officially to be proposed forover a thousand years after her death, she is said to havestudied it).

October 2013: Proof found that a comet hit the earth in theSahara Desert 28 million years ago. This comet was namedHypatia as a "woman of firsts".

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Todays Influence

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Todays Influence

Unfortunately, all major works that she worked on oredited were destroyed by conquerors of Alexandria.However, her early considerations of ellipticalplanetary movements, the Astrolabe, graduated

brass hydrometer and the hydroscope all had lastingeffects on later inventions and theories (Keplerselliptical planetary motion, the graduated brasshydrometer is now used to measure the gravity of

crude oil, the Astrolabe is now nicknamed anastronomical computer and led to the creation of themodern planisphere used in astronomy).

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Todays Influence She remains a source of dramatic portrayals and

intrigue into her religious-conflicted death.

She is still one of the most celebrated yet least-well-known-by-the-common-person

mathematician. She achieved a height of influence and popularity

unknown to female mathematicians andphilosophers of her time.

She proves that women mathematicians can besuccessful in mathematics as she was known asthe woman who broke the barriers (althoughthe tragic ending does darken this ray of hope).

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Citations

Alic, Margaret (1986). Hypatia's heritage : ahistory of women in science from antiquitythrough the nineteenth century. Boston: BeaconPress.

Hypatia. (2013). In Encyclopdia Britannica.Retrieved fromhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/279463/Hypatia

Parsons, Reuben. St. Cyril of Alexandria and theMurder of Hypatia,in Some Lies and Errors ofHistory, Chap. IV, Office of the Ave Maria, 1892.

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