Science Magazine Lauds Sophie Germain as "A Woman Who Counted"

March 13, 2008

At last January's Joint Mathematics Meeting, held in San Diego, two mathematicians reported that early 19th century mathematician Sophie Germain did far more work in number theory than she has ever been given credit for.

Number theorists recognize her for a mathematical footnote: "Sophie Germain's Theorem," which offers insight into special cases of Fermat's Last Theorem.

Researching long-neglected manuscripts and letters at the Bibliothèque Nationale, in Paris, mathematicians David Pengelley (New Mexico State University) and Reinhard Laubenbacher (VBI, Virginia Tech) uncovered more on the history of mathematics. Sophie Germain, in fact, had made ambitious efforts to completely solve Fermat's last Theorem.

"What we thought we knew," said Pengelley," is actually only the tip of the iceberg." Her numerous theorems in two extensive manuscripts covering prime numbers and correspondence with Carl Friedrich Gauss, said Pengelley, "calls for a reexamination of the scope and depth of her work."

Source: sciencemag.org (February 15, 2008)