Yvonne Dold-Samplonius facts for kids
Yvonne Dold-Samplonius (born May 20, 1937 – died June 16, 2014) was a smart Dutch lady who loved math and history. She became a historian who studied the history of Islamic mathematics from the Middle Ages. She was especially interested in how Islamic builders and architects used math. They used it to measure volumes, design religious buildings, and create cool shapes called muqarnas.
A Life of Learning
Yvonne Samplonius was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, on May 20, 1937. She studied at the University of Amsterdam. In 1966, she earned degrees in both mathematics and Arabic. In 1965, she married the German mathematician Albrecht Dold.
Her Studies and Discoveries
From 1966 to 1967, Yvonne studied at Harvard University in the United States. In 1977, she earned her PhD. Her special project was about an old book called Kitāb al-mafrādāt li Aqāţun.
She became very interested in the work of Abū Sahl al-Qūhī. He was a Persian mathematician who lived in the 10th century. He studied the shapes of buildings. Through his work, Yvonne learned about the math used to build amazing domes in palaces and mosques. These domes often featured muqarnas, which are special decorative shapes.
Yvonne wrote articles about other important Islamic mathematicians. These included Jamshīd al-Kāshī and Abu-Abdullah Muhammad ibn Īsa Māhānī. Her writings appeared in important history books.
Later Work and Honors
Later in her life, Yvonne focused on the history of math in Islamic architecture. Since 1995, she was part of the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing at the University of Heidelberg. With them, she made several videos about Islamic art and geometry.
In 1985, she was a visiting professor at the University of Siena in Italy. In 2000, she helped organize a big meeting called "2000 Years of Transmission of Mathematical Ideas." She became a member of the International Academy of the History of Sciences in 2002 and a full member in 2007. In 2000, she was even made an honorary citizen of Kashan in Iran!
Videos About Her Work
Yvonne Dold-Samplonius helped create videos that show how Islamic mathematicians used geometry.
- Yvonne Dold-Samplonius, Christoph Kindl, Norbert Quien : Qubba for al-Kashi, Video, Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, American Mathematical Society, (1996).
- Yvonne Dold-Samplonius, Silvia L. Harmsen, Susanne Krömker, Michael Winckler : Magic of Muqarnas, Video, Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, (2005).
