Mathematician Publishes Biography of Maria Gaetana Agnesi
A new book by Antonella Cupillari, associate professor of mathematics at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, takes a fresh look at the complex life of Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1718-1799), a deeply gifted Milanese mathematician constrained by 18th century sexism.
“In 1723, Italy’s cultural and scientific community began to debate the question ‘Should women be admitted to the study of science and the fine arts?’” says Cupillari, herself a native of L’Aquila, Italy. “While women weren’t strictly forbidden from study, it wasn’t encouraged. ‘Learned’ people on both sides of the issue wrote speeches to express their opinion, mostly based on personal belief with no scientific supporting evidence.”
One response that strongly argued for academic inclusion of “the weaker sex” was written in Latin and signed by 9-year-old Maria. “While there is still debate regarding her ability to produce such a piece on her own at that age, there is no questioning Maria’s ability as a mathematician,” Cupillari said. “In 1748 she published the first calculus book designed as a teaching tool for Italian youth, which was also the first and most complete work on finite and infinitesimal analysis. Maria is still mentioned in calculus books today, usually when the curve known as ‘The Witch of Agnesi’ makes its appearance. It’s not a slur, but the result of a bad translation.”
Cupillari added that the challenge of writing A Biography of Maria Gaetana Agnesi, an Eighteenth-Century Woman Mathematician: With Translations of Some of Her Work from Italian into English (Edwin Mellen Press, 2008) was creating a three-dimensional portrait of a complicated personality. A brilliant mind and independent thinker, Agnesi at the same time was very shy and devoutly religious; after her father’s death she was finally able to fulfill her lifelong dream of living quietly and working for charity. “As both a scientist and a humanitarian, Agnesi broke a lot of rules at a time when most women were kept in ignorance.”
A graduate of the University of L'Aquila, Cupillari joined Penn State Behrend’s math faculty after earning her doctoral degree at SUNY Albany. In April, she received the 2008 Distinguished Teaching Award given by the Allegheny Mountain Section of the Mathematical Association of America.