How Did Emmy Noether Contribute To Math

The study of math is an intriguing subject that dates back hundreds of years. From engineering and physics to chemistry and computer science, the study of mathematics is a fundamental component of knowledge. The subject sharpens cognitive abilities and calls for critical thought. There are people who have worked to advance the profession and make math more advanced and approachable. The percentage of women in STEM is still considerably low as of today but back in the 20th century, women in STEM was considered taboo. Many women have contributed to the world of mathematics just as much as men, one of them being Emmy Noether. Emmy Noether was a German-Jewish mathematician who made significant contributions to algebra and physics. Her work paved

Emmy Noether was born on March 23, 1882, in Erlangen, Germany. Her birth-given name was Amalie but she went by Emmy most of her life and all of her career. Her father was also a famous mathematician, Max Noether, a professor at the University Of Erlangen-Nuremberg. This impacted Emmy naturally being good at math growing up and developing a passion for it, just like her father. Her brother Fritz also made a career in mathematics. In Emmy's early life, she spent most of her time in school studying languages, with a deep concentration in French and English. At the time of her graduation from high school, she passed a test that would allow her to teach both English and French at schools for young women. At the age of 18, Emmy enrolled at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, but she was never allowed to officially enroll or receive any academic credit due to women in the past being treated unfairly. Despite these setbacks, she continued to study and learn from her father and other prominent mathematicians. In 1903, she began attending lectures at the University of Gottingen, where her father had connections, and she eventually earned her doctorate in mathematics in 1907 at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. After completing her Ph.D., Noether worked as an assistant to mathematician David Hilbert at the University of Gottingen where

After dedicating her youth to studying mathematics, Noether dedicated herself full time to mathematics. Working alongside famous mathematicians like David Hilbert, Felix Klein, Nikolai Chebotaryov and Lev Pontryagin, Noether expanded her work further. Her big breakthrough wouldn’t come until 1918 which was when she published her first theorem, known as Noethers’ First Theorem. Noether originally invented the theorem in 1915 but later published it in papers officially in 1918. While working at the University of Erlangen, Noether was invited to the University of Gottingen by famous mathematicians, David Hilbert and Felix Klein. By studying mathematics for a semester at the University of Gottingen in 1903, Noether made an everlasting impression that would greatly benefit her career in the near future. Hilbert and Klein invited Noether in order to solve a “puzzle” in famous physicist Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, his career's big breakthrough. Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity contradicted laws on the conservation of energy. Hilbert and Klein, though both deemed as great mathematicians, could not crack the problem and therefore asked Noether for her assistance. While solving the so-called problem, Noether found out that there was no problem. Instead, she was able to branch onto Einstein's theory and discovered her own theorem. Using her knowledge on