Vera Pless facts for kids
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Vera Pless (born March 5, 1931 – died March 2, 2020) was an American mathematician. She was an expert in two cool areas of math: combinatorics and coding theory. Combinatorics is about counting and arranging things. Coding theory is about making and breaking secret codes, and also about sending information without errors. She used to be a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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Her Life Story
Vera Stepen was born in Chicago. Her family came from Russia. When she was a teenager, Vera loved playing the cello more than math. But she was very smart! She finished high school two years early. Then she went to the University of Chicago and finished her studies there in just three years.
Early Studies and Family
A professor named Irving Kaplansky inspired her. She decided to study abstract algebra, which is a type of advanced math. She stayed at the university for her master's degree. She earned it in 1952. Around that time, she married her husband. He was a physicist who studied tiny particles.
Vera started working in physics at the University of Chicago. Soon, she won a special scholarship. This allowed her to study at Northwestern University. Her husband became a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). So, Vera moved with him to Massachusetts. She finished her doctorate degree in 1957. This was just before her first child was born.
Working on Codes
Two years later, Vera was a stay-at-home mom. She started teaching classes at Boston University because she was bored. A few years later, she looked for a full-time job. She could not find a job at a university. So, she took a job at a research lab for the Air Force. There, she started working on error-correcting codes. These codes help send information without mistakes.
During this time, she helped start a group called Women in Science and Engineering. She even became its president for a while. She worked at the Air Force lab from 1963 to 1972. A famous mathematician named Andrew Gleason often visited her there.
Later, a new rule stopped the military from doing basic research. So, Vera moved to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She worked there on a big computer science project called Project MAC.
In 1975, she moved back to Chicago. She became a full professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her husband and youngest son stayed in Boston. Five years after her move, she and her husband divorced.
Vera Pless retired in 2006. She passed away at her home on March 2, 2020. She was 88 years old.
Awards and Special Recognitions
In 2012, Vera Pless became a fellow of the American Mathematical Society. This is a special honor for mathematicians.
Books She Wrote
Vera Pless wrote several important books about her work. One book that might interest you is:
- The Cryptoclub: Using Mathematics to Make and Break Secret Codes (2006). This book helps people learn about secret codes using math.
See also
In Spanish: Vera Pless para niños
