www.womeninmath.net Women of mathematics throughout Europe A gallery of portraits A gallery of portraits A gallery 13 portraits offering an unusual insight into mathematics throughout Europe throughout Women of mathematics Women Editors Sylvie Paycha, Magdalena Georgescu and Sara Azzali Photography Noel Tovia Matoff 4 324 0 14 8398 97 Women of mathematics throughout Europe A gallery of portraits Women of mathematics throughout Europe A gallery of portraits Editors Sylvie Paycha, Magdalena Georgescu and Sara Azzali Photography Noel Tovia Matoff Content 6 Introduction Protagonists 10 Nalini Anantharaman 18 Karin Baur 24 Stefka Bouyuklieva 32 Alice Fialowski 40 Frances Kirwan 48 Irina Kmit 56 Margarida Mendes Lopes 64 Kaisa Matomäki 72 Barbara Nelli 80 Dušanka Periši´c 88 Katarzyna (Kasia) Rejzner 96 Katrin Wendland 104 Oksana Yakimova 112 Beyond mathematics 113 Elena Mendoza 119 Matina Matoff 122 Acknowledgements 123 The editors 124 Publishing details 6 7 Introduction Together – and with the help of Sara Azzali – we interviewed and took photographs of thirteen female mathematicians over a little more than a year, during which we set up a ritualised procedure. The interviewed women would first give us an accessible impro- Nowadays, women still find it difficult to embrace a career in the vised presentation on the blackboard of their research work. During mathematical academic world; social pressure and personal doubts these lively mathematical conversations, Noel would make a first may restrain them from doing so. As a result, one observes an em- series of photographs. The interviews would take place either be- barrassing disparity between the proportion of men and women fore or after these portrait sessions. The portrayed mathematician among professional mathematicians. This volume, which aims at would then be asked to pose in front of a formula left on the board drawing the reader’s attention to this issue, presents mathematics for a second series of photographs. She would finally be asked to through women mathematicians’ perspectives and samples of their write down on a piece of paper her preferred mathematical formula, life stories. It invites the reader to share their experience as mathe- that now illustrates in the catalogue the chapter dedicated to her. maticians, offering a human outlook on this discipline often feared This ritual gave us time to pause for explanations, to talk and to for its abstractness and dryness. listen, creating spontaneous interactions that are reflected in the This is the catalogue of the touring exhibition “Women of photographs and interviews the reader will find in this volume. Mathematics throughout Europe. A gallery of portraits”, inaugu- Noel accompanied me in the world of mathematics, with which rated on the 20th of July 2016 during the 7th European Congress she was not acquainted; the week we spent in a meeting of the of Mathematics (ECM) at the Technische Universität Berlin (TU organisation European Women in Mathematics, that took place in Berlin). Like the exhibition, it presents the photographic portraits “Il Palazzone” in the beautiful town of Cortona, served as a rather and interviews of thirteen female mathematicians from different radical immersion! In sharing with me her outlook on this singu- countries throughout Europe. lar world she was entering, Noel influenced the way the project In 2014, in preparation for a talk I had been asked to give at the was conducted. The fact that she recognised the same enthusiasm University of Konstanz on “Women and mathematics”, I wrote to in women mathematicians for their work as that of her sister’s ten female mathematicians I know around the world, asking them – a midwife – for hers, led us to interview and portray her sister to answer a set of questions related to their careers. I assembled Matina Matoff. This in turn triggered the idea of portraying another the replies, together with a photograph of each mathematician, in non-mathematician, the composer Elena Mendoza, author of the a hand-made booklet entitled “Women mathematicians around the two musical pieces performed at the exhibition opening in Berlin, world. A gallery of portraits”. The positive response these inter- where she also reported on the situation of women composers. views received from the mathematical community encouraged me One can “do” and discuss mathematics regardless of the circum- to ask Agnes Handwerk, the author of various documentary films, stances and the environment. Mathematics can wait, as it neither radio programmes and articles on mathematicians, whether she was dries, nor does it perish, and little does the weather matter when willing to work with me on a film project based on this document. doing mathematics. In contrast, light and darkness are essential for Agnes suggested to use the booklet as a starting point towards a a photographer portraying mathematicians at work. What weather more ambitious goal, an exhibition at the 7th European Congress could we expect in Turku on Thursday December 17th 2015, when of Mathematics - and thus the project was born. Little did I realise portraying Kaisa? How about in Jena on Thursday October 29th then what an enterprise and adventure this was going to become! 2015, for Oksana's portrait? In Oxford on Monday June 1st 2015 I was very happy when Noel Matoff, a photographer I great- for Frances’s? In Tarnovo on Monday February 22nd 2016 for ly admire for her work on midwives and people suffering from Stefka's? How far would the blackboard be from the window? Alzheimer, accepted to accompany me in this adventure, taking The answer to these questions was of decisive importance. The light photographs of the mathematicians we intended to portray. was all the more important for Noel, who took photographs on a 8 9 120 roll film with her medium format camera, a twin lens Rolleiflex, We have learned a lot from overcoming the many obstacles on the in addition to using her digital equipment. This way, she could cre- path to its realization, some of them thanks to the generous support ate a certain intimacy between the photographer and the portrayed of colleagues such as Sara Munday, who proofread the interviews. woman. We are also very thankful to Maria Hoffmann-Dartevelle, who Contingency can nevertheless not be totally ignored while translated the interviews into German. doing mathematics, as one can read from Dušanka’s experience of We are immensely grateful to the main protagonists of the project, abruptly interrupting a mathematical discussion at the sound of the thirteen portrayed women, Nalini Anantharaman, Karin Baur, a siren which brought back threatening memories of the war in Stefka Bouyuklieva, Alice Fialowksi, Frances Kirwan, Irina Kmit, Serbia. Women are generally confronted with contingencies more Margarida Mendes Lopes, Kaisa Matomäki, Barbara Nelli, Dušanka often than men are; as Karin, they might consider reducing their Periši´c , Kasia Rejzner, Oksana Yakimova, and Katrin Wendland, workload while their children are young, or as Alice, they might for their readiness to share their experience and dedicate time to the decide to give up a good position to take care of a sick mother. interview and portraying. Let me address my thanks to two further These contingencies, combined with a lack of self-confidence protagonists of this catalogue, Elena Men doza and Matina Matoff, possibly induced in part by a lack of support from family, friends for their willingness to answer the questions we had asked the thir- or the mathematical community, can make it very tough for young teen mathematicians, only slightly adapted to the features of their women to become professional mathematicians. We hope that the respective professions, namely composer and midwife. testimonies given by the thirteen mathematicians in this catalogue We are also thankful for decisive support from Jean-Pierre Bour- will stimulate young women scientists to trust their own strength. guignon, who gave us an essential impulse at a moment of great The fact that all thirteen mathematicians answer negatively as to discouragement due to the lack of funding sources, Jan Erdnüß whether they have any regret concerning the choice of their career who, without hesitation, welcomed the exhibit to the Mathematics as a mathematician should serve as a strong incentive! Library premises at Technische Universität Berlin, and actively sup- This exhibition project – which, as well as the photographer ported the project along the way, and Pierre Clavier who patiently Noel Matoff, involved four mathematicians in the planning and put up with our endless lunch-time discussions about the prepara- organisation, Alexandra Antoniouk, Sara Azzali, Magdalena tions for the exhibit, and provided feedback. Georgescu and myself – has been an exhilarating experience, in that My personal thanks go to my colleague Sylvie Roelly for her it has brought us to interact differently from the way we would in decisive support in applying for funding, and to Steffanie Rahn, our ordinary mathematical life, with each other as well as with the also from the University of Potsdam, who bravely helped us over- portrayed mathematicians. It has also given us a glimpse into the come various administrative impediments we came across with this artistic world through Noel and Elena. exhibition project, an unusual type of project for a mathematics The difficulties we encountered along the way created further department to run. bonds amongst us organisers, as we also shared the anguish of find- We hope that this catalogue can convey to the reader how math- ing enough financial support for the project. Bringing this exhibition ematics and life experiences intertwine, and thereby the joys we project to life turned out to be far more difficult than expected, for a mathematicians experience in the daily practice of our craft. Let this project dealing with women issues does not find much support in a catalogue serve as a cordial invitation to the realm of mathematics! mathematical world still very much dominated by men.