Google Doodle Celebrates Mathematician Olga Ladyzhenskaya: ‘One of the Most Influential Thinkers of Her Generation’

Russian mathematician Olga Ladyzhenskaya overcame personal and political hurdles and had a lasting impact on a range of scientific fields, from weather forecasting to cardiovascular science and oceanography. On Thursday Google celebrated her life and achievements with a Google Doodle on what would have been her 97th birthday. Ladyzhenskaya was best known for her studies on partial differential equations. Marshall Slemrod, a mathematician with the University of Wisconsin, told the New York Times, “If you believe your weather forecasts, you have to solve the exact equations that she studied.” Google called her “one of the most influential thinkers of her generation.” Born in the rural town of Kologriv, more than 400 miles from Moscow, Ladyzhenskaya inherited a love for algebra from her father, a mathematician who came from Russian nobility. When she was 15, personal tragedy struck as her father was executed by the Soviet authorities, who called him an “enemy of the state.” Her mother and sister sold dresses, shoes and soap to put food on the table. GoogleThis is the Google Doodle for Olga Ladyzhenskaya. Her work had a lasting impact on a range of scientific fields, from weather forecasting to cardiovascular science and oceanography. Despite earning a place at Leningrad State University with her impressive school grades, Ladyzhenskaya was banned from attending because of her father’s “enemy” status. After years of teaching...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Google onetime Source Type: news