Mary L. Boas
Encyclopedia
Mary Layne Boas was an American mathematician
and physics
professor best known as the author of Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences
(1966), an undergraduate textbook that is still widely used in college classrooms in 2010. She received a Bachelor's degree (1938) and a Master's degree (1940) in mathematics from the University of Washington
, and in 1948 she earned a PhD degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
. She taught in the Physics Department of DePaul University
in Chicago for 30 years, retiring in 1987 to return to Washington.
In 2005, at the age of 88, Mary Boas published the third edition of her textbook. She established the Mary L. Boas Endowed Scholarship at the University of Washington in 2008 to recognize outstanding academic achievements by women students in the Department of Physics.
Mary Boas was married to mathematician Ralph P. Boas, Jr.. Her son, Harold P. Boas
, is also a noted mathematician. She died on February 17, 2010, at her home near Seattle, Washington
.
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 physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
professor best known as the author of Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences
Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences
Mathematical Methods in the Physical Sciences is a 1966 textbook by mathematician Mary L. Boas intended to develop skills in mathematical problem solving needed for junior to senior-graduate courses in engineering, physics, and chemistry...
(1966), an undergraduate textbook that is still widely used in college classrooms in 2010. She received a Bachelor's degree (1938) and a Master's degree (1940) in mathematics from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, and in 1948 she earned a PhD degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
. She taught in the Physics Department of DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
in Chicago for 30 years, retiring in 1987 to return to Washington.
In 2005, at the age of 88, Mary Boas published the third edition of her textbook. She established the Mary L. Boas Endowed Scholarship at the University of Washington in 2008 to recognize outstanding academic achievements by women students in the Department of Physics.
Mary Boas was married to mathematician Ralph P. Boas, Jr.. Her son, Harold P. Boas
Harold P. Boas
Harold P. Boas is an American mathematician.He received his A.B. and S.M. degrees in applied mathematics from Harvard University in 1976 and his Ph.D. in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1980 under the direction of Norberto Kerzman. He was a J. F...
, is also a noted mathematician. She died on February 17, 2010, at her home near Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.