Christine Hamill facts for kids

Christine Mary Hamill was a brilliant English mathematician. She was born on July 24, 1923, and passed away on March 24, 1956. She was known for her special work in areas of math called group theory and finite geometry.

Christine Hamill's Education

Christine was one of four children. Her father, Philip Hamill, was a well-known scientist who studied the human body. Christine went to two good schools for girls: St Paul's Girls' School and the Perse School for Girls.

In 1942, she won a special scholarship to Newnham College, Cambridge, which is part of the famous University of Cambridge. She did so well in her math studies that she became a "wrangler" in 1945. A wrangler is someone who achieves the highest honors in the final math exams at Cambridge University. It's a very impressive achievement!

After finishing her first degree, Christine won a research fellowship from Newnham College in 1948. This allowed her to continue studying and doing advanced research. She earned her Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) degree from the University of Cambridge in 1951. A Ph.D. is the highest university degree you can get, showing you are an expert in your field.

Her Ph.D. research was about "collineations." These are special ways to transform shapes in geometry while keeping straight lines straight. Her work focused on how these transformations relate to group theory, which is a branch of math that studies symmetry. Her supervisor, J. A. Todd, said her detailed work was "of permanent value," meaning it was very important and would last a long time.

Christine Hamill's Career

After getting her Ph.D., Christine Hamill became a lecturer at the University of Sheffield. A lecturer is like a professor who teaches university students.

In 1954, she took a new job as a lecturer at the University College, Ibadan, in Nigeria. Sadly, she passed away there in 1956 from polio, a serious illness.