Barbara Gertrude Yates facts for kids

Barbara Gertrude Yates (1919–1998) was an amazing Irish mathematician. She was likely the first woman born and raised in Ireland to earn a special advanced degree, called a PhD, in pure mathematics. Pure mathematics is a type of math that explores numbers and shapes for their own sake, without always thinking about how they'll be used in real life.

Barbara Yates's Life and Work

Barbara was born in January 1919 in Dublin, Ireland. Her family had a long history of being very good at math, especially at Trinity College Dublin, a famous university.

Her father, James Yates, was also a brilliant mathematician. He had won a special award called a "Trinity Scholar in Mathematics" before he graduated in 1891. This award is given to students who show outstanding talent in math. He worked as a school inspector across Ireland. In 1922, her family moved to Belfast because Ireland was divided into two separate parts.

Barbara's older brothers, Henry and James, were also very talented. They both became Trinity Scholars in Mathematics too. Barbara followed in their footsteps and received the same special award in 1940. She then earned her first university degree in mathematics in 1941.

After finishing her studies, Barbara began her career as a teacher. She taught at Queen's University Belfast from 1942 to 1945. Then, she moved to Scotland and taught at the University of Aberdeen from 1945 to 1948.

Later, she moved to England and joined Royal Holloway College, where she worked as a lecturer. She taught there until she retired at the age of 65. In 1952, she finished her PhD, the advanced degree in mathematics. The University of Aberdeen officially awarded her this degree the next year. Her special project for her PhD was about a complex math problem called "A difference-differential equation." Her professor, E. M. Wright, helped guide her work.