Maria Agnesi (1718-1799) did groundbreaking work in the field of mathematics, creating a two-volume textbook that helped to shape math education. Later, she gave up her academic success to serve the poor and live in poverty.
Maria Agnesi (1718-1799) did groundbreaking work in the field of mathematics, creating a two-volume textbook that helped to shape math education. Later, she gave up her academic success to serve the poor and live in poverty.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Luvvie Ajayi Jones. I’m a New York Times Best Selling author and host of the podcast Professional Troublemaker. I’m so excited to be your guest host for this month of Womanica!
This month we’re highlighting Prodigies: women who achieved greatness at a young age.
The life of today’s prodigy has a surprising twist. From a young age, she showed incredible talent in math, and went on to do groundbreaking work in the field. Yet, she gave up all her academic success to serve the poor and live in poverty. She’s truly a unique and fascinating figure in the history of Mathematics.
Let’s talk about Maria Agnesi.
Maria Agnesi was born May 16, 1718 in Milan, Italy. She was the eldest child of her father’s 21 children, born from three separate wives.
At that time, it wasn’t socially acceptable for women to get an education through traditional means – however, Maria’s own education may have started with her sitting in on her brothers’ tutoring sessions. She showed great promise right away.
By age 5, Maria could speak French. In only a few more years she learned Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and more. The local community started to call her the “seven-tongued orator.”
At nine years old, Maria memorized and recited a speech in Latin that argued for equal educational opportunities for women. It would be the first of many arguments she made against sexism.
Maria’s father, a wealthy silk merchant, saw Maria’s talents as an opportunity to boost the family’s status. He also sought to continue her education. To achieve this, he frequently invited leading academics and intellectuals to his home, where Maria could show off.
When such academic gatherings took place, Maria was an active participant, engaging famous scholars in conversations about philosophy and mathematics. By the time she was a teenager, Maria was particularly adept at math. Despite her considerable talent, Maria was rather shy and mostly participated in these intellectual forums to please her father.
In 1732, Maria’s mother died in childbirth. After that, Maria stepped out of the public eye and took over management of the house. At one point, she asked her father if she could join a convent, but he refused to allow it. However, Maria remained a devoted Catholic and never married or had any children.
In 1738, Maria published a collection of essays all about philosophy and natural science called “Propositions of Philosophy”. It was largely based on the discussions she heard from the intellectual gatherings in her home, but she also argued once again for the equal education of women.
Maria soon became her younger siblings’ teacher. She had a particular affinity for Mathematics, for its ability to find absolute truths. As she taught her siblings, she saw the need for a comprehensive textbook for teaching the recent Mathematical discoveries of the Enlightenment period. At age 20, she started writing one.
Some think the textbook started as a tool for teaching her siblings. But it quickly grew into something much greater. In 1748, she published the two-volume textbook “Analytical Institutions,” in Italian, rather than Latin, to make it more accessible to students.
“Analytical Institutions” rocked the world of mathematics. It was among the first works with such comprehensive explanations of finite and infinitesimal analysis. Notably, Maria’s textbook treated calculus as an area of academic pursuit. At the time, calculus was mostly seen as a practical science, useful mostly for physics applications. The book was later translated for use in French and English classrooms. It shaped the way instructors taught calculus for generations to come.
The praise of one famous mathematician, Jean-Etienne Montucla, exemplified the sexist beliefs in academia at the time. He said:
“We cannot but behold with the greatest astonishment how a person of a sex that seems so little fitted to tread the thorny paths of these abstract sciences penetrates so deeply as she has done into all the branches of algebra.”
Pope Benedict XIV praised Maria’s textbook, for its positive impact on Italy’s reputation. He appointed Maria as the chair of mathematics at the University of Bologna, and the University even sent Maria a diploma and added her name to their faculty list. However, it’s unclear whether she actually traveled to the city to accept the post at any point.
In 1752, when her father died, Maria left math behind to found a small hospital in her home and serve the poor. Eventually, she gave away all of her wealth.
Maria wrote, “I hope my studies have brought glory to God ... Now I have found better ways and means to serve God, and to be useful to others.”
Maria Agnesi passed away in 1799 at age 80. She was poor and out of the limelight.
Maria found a path of her own in a restrictive society. Though she ultimately preferred a life of service, she was a passionate advocate for women’s right to math and science education. Her brilliant work made an impact in classrooms for generations, and can still be felt today.
All month, we highlighted prodigies. For more information find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz and Jenny Kaplan for inviting me to guest host.
Tune in tomorrow for the beginning of our new theme, Pride: Queer Stars of the Stage and Screen. Talk to you then!