Sophie Germain, a Biography of a Prodigy

Sophie Germain might just be the most influential female intellectual in the history of France. She was a math prodigy even though few acknowledged it during her life. In fact, it wasn’t until after she died that institutions began to award her the recognition she deserved. Germain’s keen intelligence isn’t the most interesting part about her, though. It’s the strength of her character. This is because she stood up against all the conventions of her time and used the tools at her disposal to do what she loved most: mathematical research. She basically had no personal life, so she never…