2016 Joseph F. Mulligan Memorial Lecture
Presented by Catherine Rossbach
Wednesday, May 4, 2016 · 3:30 - 4:30 PM
TITLE: The Life and Work of Emmy Noether
ABSTRACT: Emmy Noether was once referred to by Albert Einstein as the most important woman in the history of mathematics, and though her work is widely known, her name is not. This presentation is intended to give a brief introduction to her life and work, including Noether’s theorem, which states that any symmetries present in the Lagrangian of a system corresponds to a conservation law. Dr. Noether’s work is divided into three periods, or epochs, each of which will be discussed in this presentation, though I will focus mostly on the areas of her work that are of importance in theoretical physics. I feel knowledge of her work is important to our education as physicists, while learning of her life can inspire us to pursue our passions in the face of great adversity.
ABSTRACT: Emmy Noether was once referred to by Albert Einstein as the most important woman in the history of mathematics, and though her work is widely known, her name is not. This presentation is intended to give a brief introduction to her life and work, including Noether’s theorem, which states that any symmetries present in the Lagrangian of a system corresponds to a conservation law. Dr. Noether’s work is divided into three periods, or epochs, each of which will be discussed in this presentation, though I will focus mostly on the areas of her work that are of importance in theoretical physics. I feel knowledge of her work is important to our education as physicists, while learning of her life can inspire us to pursue our passions in the face of great adversity.