Elizaveta Litvinova
Encyclopedia
Elizaveta Fedorovna Litvinova (1845–1919?) was a Russia
n mathematician
and pedagogue. She is the author of over 70 articles about mathematics education.
Born in 1845 in czarist Russia as Elizaveta Fedorovna Ivanshkina, she completed her early education at a women's high school in Saint Petersburg
. In 1866 Elizaveta married Viktor Litvinov, which, unlike Vladimir Kovalevskii (Sofia Kovalevskaya
's husband), would not allow her to travel to Europe to study at the universities there. Thus, Litvinova started to study with Strannoliubskii, who had also privately tutored Kovalevskaya.
In 1872, as soon as her husband died, Litvinova went to Zürich
and enrolled at a polytechnic institute. In 1873 the Russian czar decreed all Russian women studying in Zürich had to return to Russia or face the consequences. Litvinova was one of the few to ignore the decree and she remained to continue her studies, earning her baccalaureate in Zürich in 1876 and her doctoral degree in 1878 from the University of Bern.
When Litvinova returned to Russia, she was denied university appointments because she had defied the 1873 recall. She taught at a women's high school and supplemented her meager income by writing biographies of more famous mathematicians such as Kovalevskaya and Aristotle
. After retiring, it is believed that Litvinova died during the Russian Revolution in 1919.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and pedagogue. She is the author of over 70 articles about mathematics education.
Born in 1845 in czarist Russia as Elizaveta Fedorovna Ivanshkina, she completed her early education at a women's high school in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. In 1866 Elizaveta married Viktor Litvinov, which, unlike Vladimir Kovalevskii (Sofia Kovalevskaya
Sofia Kovalevskaya
Sofia Vasilyevna Kovalevskaya , was the first major Russian female mathematician, responsible for important original contributions to analysis, differential equations and mechanics, and the first woman appointed to a full professorship in Northern Europe.She was also one of the first females to...
's husband), would not allow her to travel to Europe to study at the universities there. Thus, Litvinova started to study with Strannoliubskii, who had also privately tutored Kovalevskaya.
In 1872, as soon as her husband died, Litvinova went to Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and enrolled at a polytechnic institute. In 1873 the Russian czar decreed all Russian women studying in Zürich had to return to Russia or face the consequences. Litvinova was one of the few to ignore the decree and she remained to continue her studies, earning her baccalaureate in Zürich in 1876 and her doctoral degree in 1878 from the University of Bern.
When Litvinova returned to Russia, she was denied university appointments because she had defied the 1873 recall. She taught at a women's high school and supplemented her meager income by writing biographies of more famous mathematicians such as Kovalevskaya and Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
. After retiring, it is believed that Litvinova died during the Russian Revolution in 1919.
External links
- "Elizaveta Litvinova", Biographies of Women Mathematicians, Agnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....