Margaret Baron facts for kids

Margaret E. Baron (born in 1915, died August 16, 1996) was a smart British woman who taught mathematics and studied the history of math. She is especially famous for her book about the history of calculus, which is a branch of mathematics.

Her Early Life and Education

Margaret Baron grew up in Gateshead, a town in northeastern England. She went to Durham University and studied at King's College, Newcastle. This college later became Newcastle University.

After finishing her studies, she worked as an English teacher in Frankfurt, Germany, for one year. In 1938, she started teaching mathematics at the Bede School for Girls. This school is now part of Sunderland College.

Teaching and Family Life

In 1940, Margaret married George Baron, who was also a teacher at the boys' school nearby. At that time, many schools had rules that meant women teachers had to leave their jobs if they got married. So, Margaret had to stop teaching at Bede School.

She then took two more teaching jobs. She taught at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle upon Tyne and the High Storrs School in Sheffield. After this, she left work to focus on raising her family in Gateshead.

In 1946, her husband came back from serving in the war. They then moved to London. Margaret eventually went back to teaching. She taught at Goldsmiths' College. In 1957, she became the head of the mathematics department at Stockwell College of Education.

While working there, Margaret continued her own studies. She wrote a master's thesis in 1960 about the history of calculus. She then earned her PhD degree in 1965. She retired from teaching in 1977. Margaret Baron passed away on August 16, 1996.

Her Important Contributions to Math

Margaret Baron's most famous work is her book, The Origins of the Infinitesimal Calculus. It was first published in 1969. Later, it was reprinted in 1987. This book is so important that the Mathematical Association of America has suggested it for college math libraries.

She also wrote many other articles and books about the history of mathematics. Some of her writings were included in the Dictionary of Scientific Biography.

In the early 1950s, Margaret helped start the Association of Teachers of Mathematics. This group helps math teachers learn and share ideas. She also wrote other books about teaching math, including Number in Elementary Mathematics, which came out in 1973.