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Maria Gaetana Agnesi Facts & Worksheets

Maria Gaetana Agnesi was an Italian mathematician who became the first woman to write a mathematics handbook and the first woman appointed as a mathematics professor at a university.

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Maria Gaetana Agnesi was an Italian mathematician who became the first woman to write a mathematics handbook and the first woman appointed as a mathematics professor at a university. She also proved to be a very kind and religious woman who did her part in helping people and spreading her faith.

See the fact file below for more information on the Maria Gaetana Agnesi or alternatively, you can download our 20-page Maria Gaetana Agnesi worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE

  • Maria Gaetana Agnesi was born on May 16th, 1718, in Milan, Italy, to a wealthy and literate family.
  • Her father, Pietro Agnesi, was a math professor at the University of Bologna. Her father was ambitious and wanted to grow his family to the ranks of the Milanese nobility, so he married a noblewoman, Anna Fortunata Brivio.
  • Maria’s mother’s death made her retire from public life. She stayed at home and manage the house, and she was the eldest of 21 children.
  • Agnesi was recognized early on in life as a child prodigy. She could speak both Italian and French at the age of 5. When she turned 11, she had also learned to speak Greek, Hebrew, Spanish, German, and Latin. This is why she was called the “Seven-Tongued Orator”.
  • Unfortunately, Agnesi suffered an illness no one could identify at the age of twelve.
  • Doctors attributed the cause of it to her excessive studying and reading, so she was prescribed vigorous dancing and horseback riding. This treatment did not work, so she was told to practice everything in moderation.
  • After her mother died, Maria’s father remarried twice, and she became the eldest of 21 children after including half brothers and sisters.
  • Aside from completing her own lessons and performances, she was also responsible for teaching her siblings. This task kept her from achieving her own goal of entering a convent, as she had become extremely religious.
  • Although her father refused to grant this wish, he did allow Maria to live in semi-retirement in an almost conventual setting.

EARLY WORK IN MATH

  • A typical 14-year-old youth would be very busy doing activities aside from school and homework, but Agnesi was a prodigy, so it comes as no surprise that by this time, she was studying geometry and ballistics.
  • Her mind and findings were so impressive that by the age of 15, her father gathered a group of the most learned men in Bologna so they could hear what she had to say.
  • These gatherings were recorded in Lettres sur l’Italie by Charles de Brosse. They were likewise recorded in the Propositiones Philosophicae, which was written by her father and published in 1738 as an account of her final performance in which she defended 190 theses.
  • Though Agnesi was considered rather attractive by philosophers and her family was recognized as one of the wealthiest in Milan, she showed no interest in marriage at a time when most women would marry.

WORKS OF AGNESI

  • According to Dirk Jan Struik, Agnesi was the first important lady mathematician since Hypatia, who lived in the 5th century AD.
  • Agnesi’s most valuable work was the Instituzioni analitiche ad uso della gioventu italiana (Analytical Institutions for the Use of Italian Youth), which she published in Milan in 1748.
  • This two-volume comprehensive work was regarded as the best introduction to the works of Euler, and it covered algebra and analysis, as well as integral and differential calculus.
  • Her discussion on a cubic curve led to it being known as “Witch of Agnesi” because of an error with the Italian word versiera being mistaken for versicra meaning “witch”.
  • Many others praised her work, including Pope Benedict XIV, who appointed her to be a professor of mathematics at the University of Bologna in 1750 after her father became ill.
  • Pope Benedict XIV also wrote her a complimentary letter and sent her a gold wreath and a gold medal.
  • Agnesi also wrote a commentary called Traite analytique des sections coniques du marquis de l’Hopital that was one of her most highly praised works, but it was not published.

LATER LIFE

  • In 1752, when her father died, she carried out her lifelong goal of devoting herself to the study of theology.
  • At the same time, she also dedicated her time to helping the poor, homeless, and sick. Agnesi would welcome these people to her home where she had a makeshift hospital ready.
  • On January 9th, 1799, Maria Gaetana Agnesi died at the age of 80.

Maria Gaetana Agnesi Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Maria Gaetana Agnesi across 20 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Maria Gaetana Agnesi worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Maria Gaetana Agnesi who was an Italian mathematician who became the first woman to write a mathematics handbook and the first woman appointed as a mathematics professor at a university. She also proved to be a very kind and religious woman who did her part in helping people and spreading her faith.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Maria Gaetana Agnesi Facts
  • Quick Info
  • Brief Bio
  • Fast Facts
  • Seven-Tongued Orator
  • Maria’s Role
  • Life of Agnesi
  • Witch of Agnesi
  • Life Summary
  • Female Mathematicians
  • Letter to Agnesi

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