Sofya Kovalevskaya is an outstanding scientist, whose works are relevant to this day. Out of favor with her homeland, she was able to achieve extraordinary heights in such a complex science as mathematics. If the queen of sciences is mathematics, then Kovalevskaya was the queen of mathematics.
Childhood and youth
Sofya Vasilievna Kovalevskaya was born on January 3, 1850 in Moscow. The girl was born into a complete family. Her father was a highly disciplined person, since he was a military man. The sofa was not the only child. She had a brother and sister.
After the father of the family retired, the whole family began to live in the family estate. When Sofa was 6 years old, a teacher was hired for her. Oddly enough, but the only subject to which the girl's soul did not lie was arithmetic. However, soon everything changed quickly. Young Kovalevskaya studied arithmetic for 4, 5 years, and during this time she reached extraordinary heights in the study of this subject, since she began to pay most attention to it. Then one teacher was replaced by another, with whom the girl could solve more complex arithmetic problems. And in the very first lesson, the new teacher was amazed at how quickly Kovalevskaya assimilated material unfamiliar to her.
After home schooling, Sofa had to get a higher education. However, at that time this could only be done abroad, since in Russia girls were forbidden to enter universities. Thus, Sophia urgently needed a passport, which was issued only with the agreement of the parents (in this case, the last word was for the father) or her husband. But the father refused to give his consent, because he did not want his daughter to study anywhere. He saw no point in it. But the love of mathematics turned out to be stronger than his father's prohibitions.
Personal life and travel abroad
Then Korvin-Krukovskaya (that was her surname at birth) decides to get married. So Vladimir Kovalevsky appeared in her personal life, with whom she entered into a fictitious marriage, just to go abroad. The newly minted husband and wife left for Germany in 1868, when he was 26 years old and she was 18.
In Germany, Sophia studies first at a university near Konigsberg, and then in Berlin. It is worth noting that an exception was made for her at the University of Berlin, since girls were forbidden to attend lectures. Therefore, it was personally supervised by one of the professors, as he wanted to fully reveal the potential of Kovalevskaya in science. In 1874, the young scientist Kovalevskaya, after graduating from the university, received a doctorate in mathematical philosophy.
The fictitious marriage, meanwhile, is overgrown with real feelings, and in 1878 the couple has a daughter.
Return to Russia
After receiving an academic degree, she and her husband return to Russia, in which, since their departure, nothing has changed: the girls were still forbidden to engage in science to the extent that Kovalevskaya wanted.
In addition, the birth of a child was not without consequences: the girl began to develop severe heart disease. For six months after giving birth, Sophia observed bed rest.
It would seem that such an event as the birth of a child should have further unified the family. However, discord began in the relationship of the spouses. But not because of the newborn daughter, but because of different views on life. For some time they even had to live separately. Sophia with her daughter went to Berlin, and her husband left for Odessa. In 1883, Vladimir Kovalevsky committed suicide.
Career in science
In January 1884, Kovalevskaya was invited to give a lecture at Stockholm University. And already in June of the same year she was appointed to the post of professor for a period of 5 years.
Since then, Olga was able to delve into research activities with peace of mind. One of the most difficult tasks of that time, connected with the rotation of a rigid body around a static point, stood in its way. Kovalevskaya believed that if a solution to the problem was found, then she could become one of the world's best scientists. However, the solution of the problem, according to her calculations, required at least 5 years of hard work.
If we briefly touch on the essence of the problem, then the solution will be correct if the 4th integral is found. The fact is that a couple of scientists have already dealt with this, but Kovalevskaya managed to find a third way to solve this most difficult problem. For this achievement, in 1888, Kovalevskaya was awarded the Borden Prize, which only a dozen scientists have won over the 50 years of its existence. After such success, Sophia continued to study the topic of the rotation of bodies and, subsequently, received another award from the Swedish Academy.
Despite this breakthrough in science, Kovalevskaya was never destined to work in Russia. Attempts to return to their homeland were unsuccessful. This fact upset her very much and further undermined her already fragile health. Thus, the famous scientist returned to the capital of Sweden, where she died at the age of 41.
