Elizabeth Stephansen facts for kids
Elizabeth Stephansen (born March 10, 1872 – died February 23, 1961) was a very smart Norwegian mathematician and teacher. She made history by becoming the first woman in Norway to earn a doctorate degree. This is the highest university degree you can get!
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Early Life and Education
Elizabeth Stephansen was born in Bergen, Norway. She was the oldest daughter of Anton Stephan Stephansen and Gerche Reimers Jahn. Her father was a businessman who owned a textile shop. He later started a textile factory called Espelandfos Spinderi & Tricotagefabrik in Arna.
Elizabeth went to the Bergen Cathedral School and finished her studies there in 1891. She was very good at German. Because of this, she traveled to Switzerland to continue her education.
Studying in Switzerland
Elizabeth attended the Eidgenössische Polytechnikum in Zurich. This is a famous university for science and technology. She graduated from there in 1896.
She wrote a special paper called a thesis in 1902. It was about a complex math topic called "partial differential equations." In the fall of 1902, she earned her doctorate degree (Dr. Philos.) from the University of Zurich. She received it even though she wasn't physically there!
Career and Research
After getting her doctorate, Elizabeth continued her studies. From 1902 to 1903, she traveled to the University of Göttingen in Germany. She had a special grant from the government to attend lectures. She learned from famous mathematicians like Ernst Zermelo, David Hilbert, and Felix Klein.
Teaching and Research
Elizabeth first worked as a math teacher. She taught at the Bergen Cathedral School and the Bergen Technical School. Between 1905 and 1906, she focused on her own math research. She wrote more papers about "difference equations," which are a type of mathematical problem.
From 1906 until she retired in 1937, she worked at the Agricultural College of Norway. This college was located in Ås. She first taught physics and mathematics there. In 1921, she became a "Docent" in mathematics. This means she was a senior lecturer or professor.
Later Life and Recognition
After retiring, Elizabeth lived on her family's farm in Espeland, Arna. Her father had bought this farm in 1918.
Helping During World War II
After Norway was freed from occupation in 1945, Elizabeth received a special award. It was called the King's Medal of Merit (Kongens fortjenstmedalje). She earned this medal for helping Norwegian prisoners. These prisoners were held at the Espeland concentration camp (Espeland fangeleir), which was run by the Nazis. She helped them in a very brave way.
Elizabeth Stephansen passed away in 1961 in Espeland, Arna. She was buried at Solheim Cemetery in Bergen.
Related reading
- Gila Hanna, ed. (2006) Towards Gender Equity in Mathematics Education (Volume 3 of New ICMI Study Series. Springer Science & Business Media) ISBN: 9780306472053
Images for kids
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Elizabeth Stephansen, a pioneering Norwegian mathematician.
