Karine Chemla facts for kids
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Karine Chemla was born on February 8, 1957. She is a French expert who studies the history of mathematics. She also specializes in Chinese studies. She works as a research director at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) in France. She is also a senior researcher at the New York University Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. In 2019, she became a member of the American Philosophical Society, which is a very respected group.
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Karine Chemla's Education
Karine Chemla studied at several universities in Paris, France. She attended Paris Diderot University and the École normale supérieure de jeunes filles. In 1978, she earned a high-level teaching degree in mathematics. The next year, she received a special diploma for advanced studies.
From Pure Math to History
At first, Karine Chemla focused on pure mathematics. This is math that explores ideas for their own sake. However, in 1980, her interests changed. She was inspired by the work of a scientist named Ilya Prigogine. She won a special scholarship that allowed her to travel to China. There, she began to study the history of Chinese mathematics.
Earning Her Ph.D.
After her time in China, she returned to France. In 1982, she earned her Ph.D. in the history of mathematics from Paris 13 University. Right after getting her Ph.D., she started working for the CNRS. This is a major research organization in France.
What Karine Chemla Studies
Karine Chemla's research focuses on several interesting areas. She is very interested in Chinese mathematics. She also studies French geometry from the 1800s. Another important part of her work is understanding how the history of mathematics itself is studied.
Important Books and Works
Karine Chemla has written and edited many important books. In 2004, she worked with Guo Shuchun to publish a special edition of The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art. This is a very old and important Chinese math book. They translated it into French and added helpful notes.
She also helped edit another book called Mathematics, Administrative and Economic Activities in Ancient Worlds. This book was published in 2020. It explores how math was used in daily life and business in ancient times.
Awards and Recognition
Karine Chemla has received many honors for her work. These awards show how important her research is in the field of mathematics history.
Invited Speaker and Memberships
In 1998, she was an invited speaker at the International Congress of Mathematicians. This is a big event where mathematicians from all over the world share their ideas.
She has also become a member of several important academic groups:
- In 2004, she joined the Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.
- In 2005, she became a member of the International Academy of the History of Science.
- In 2013, she was elected to the Academia Europaea.
Special Positions and Prizes
From 2013 to 2014, she held the Sarton Chair of History of Science at Ghent University. This is a special position for leading experts in the history of science. She also served as the president of the European Society for the History of Science from 2014 to 2016.
More recently, she has won two major awards:
- In 2020, she received the Otto Neugebauer Prize.
- In 2021, she won the LMS-BSHM Hirst Prize. These prizes recognize her outstanding contributions to the history of mathematics.
