Cecilia Krieger facts for kids
Cypra Cecilia Krieger-Dunaij (born April 9, 1894 – died August 17, 1974) was an amazing mathematician. She was born in a place called Galicia, which was part of Austria-Hungary. Later, she moved to Canada and did important work there.
Cecilia Krieger made history in 1930. She was the first woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics from a Canadian university. She was also only the third woman in Canada to get a doctorate in any subject.
She is also known for translating two books by another famous mathematician, Wacław Sierpiński. These books were about a field of math called general topology.
Today, a special award is named after her: the Krieger–Nelson Prize. The Canadian Mathematical Society gives this award every year to a woman who has done outstanding research in mathematics. The prize honors both Cecilia Krieger and Evelyn Nelson.
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Early Life and Education
Cecilia Krieger was born on April 9, 1894, in a town called Jasło. This town was in Galicia, which was part of Austria-Hungary at the time. Today, Jasło is in Poland. Her parents, Moses and Sarah Krieger, had two sons and two daughters, including Cecilia.
In 1919, Cecilia started studying mathematics and physics at the University of Vienna. But in 1920, her family moved to Toronto, Ontario, in Canada.
She continued her studies at the University of Toronto. She earned her first degree, a B.A., in 1924. The next year, in 1925, she received her M.A.. Finally, in 1930, she earned her Ph.D. from the same university. Her Ph.D. paper was about complex math topics like "trigonometric series" and "Fourier series."
Working at the University of Toronto
While Cecilia was working on her Ph.D., she also started teaching. In 1928, she became an instructor at the University of Toronto. When she finished her Ph.D. in 1930, she was promoted to Lecturer.
Cecilia Krieger continued as a Lecturer until 1942. That year, she was promoted again to assistant professor. She taught math to students in two different departments. She worked with both the Department of Engineering and the Department of Mathematics.
In 1953, Cecilia Krieger married Dr. Zygmund Dunaij.
Retirement and Continued Teaching
Cecilia Krieger stayed as an Assistant Professor until she retired in 1962. But even after retiring, she loved teaching so much that she kept going!
She taught for five more years at the University of Toronto. She left in 1968 after her husband passed away. But she didn't stop there. She then taught for six more years at Upper Canada College. This is a private school in Toronto. She continued teaching there until she died in 1974.
Recognition and Legacy
Cecilia Krieger was a big supporter of women in mathematics. She believed in encouraging women to pursue careers in this field.
To honor her important work and contributions, the Canadian Mathematical Society created a special award. This award is called the Krieger–Nelson Prize. It was first given out in 1995. The prize is awarded every year to an outstanding woman in mathematics. It is named after Cecilia Krieger and another brilliant mathematician, Evelyn Nelson.
See also
In Spanish: Cecilia Krieger para niños
