This site is a miscellany of agnesi s mathematics and history collected over several years. We include works of grandi, euler, the1748 instituzioni calculus, the french and colson translations, equations, graphing programs, math concepts, history of the name witch, streets, honors, and much more. Math club at stony brook university sbu math club 94 views. Before agnesi, the same curve was studied by fermat, grandi, and newton. This curve has been studied a lot and is named after maria gaetana agnesi 16 may 1718 9. This function, the socalled witch of agnesi is defined by a geometric description. It doesnt look much like a witch, or a hat or even a broomstick. Besides being the first text to unite many different mathematical. Grandi called the curve versoria in latin and suggested the term versiera for italian. In mathematics, the witch of agnesi is a cubic plane curve defined from two diametrically.
It includes a scene in which a teacher gives a version of the history of the term. Book one in the bonnie pinkwater series robert spiller. Witch of agnesi, curves and their properties pdf, classics in mathematics education, 4. In mathematics, the witch of agnesi, sometimes called the witch of maria agnesi is the curve defined as follows. Witch of agnesi definition, a plane curve symmetrical about the yaxis and asymptotic to the xaxis, given by the equation x2y4a22a. Minonzios account the best vernacular manual for mathematics for the next halfcentury.
The mathematics of maria gaetana agnesi 17181799 if any century would have favorably understood the manic blend of child shaming and twisted pride that is the typical toddlers and tiaras pageant parent, it was the eighteenth. On 9 january 1799, maria agnesi died poor and was buried in a mass grave for the poor with fifteen other bodies. The witch of agnesi smart news smithsonian magazine. In 1996, an asteroid, 16765 agnesi, was named after agnesi. Pope benedict xiv was similarly impressed and appointed agnesi professor of mathematics at the university of bologna in. The cover of the album features an image of the construction of the witch.
The recent publication of three books on maria gaetana agnesi 17181799 offers an opportunity to reflect on how we have understood and misunderstood her legacy to the history of mathematics. Eighteenthcentury mathematician maria gaetana agnesi s talent for languages let her see math in a new way. Truesdell, maria gaetana agnesi, archive for history of exact sciences. Starting with a fixed circle, a point o on the circle is chosen. Witch of agnesi definition of witch of agnesi by merriam. Archive for history of exact sciences, 40433, 1142. We regard it as the most complete and best made treatise. Is that a use and if so are there more or is that all. The witch of agnesi, you may be disappointed to know, is a curve that math students generally learn about in calculus class. In mathematics, the witch of agnesi italian pronunciation.
Well look at the first appearance of the witch in agnesis book analytical institutions, as translated by john colson. Witch of agnesi is also the title of a music album by jazz quartet radius. Beautifully illustrated activities highlight mathematical history these bla. The recent publication of three books on maria gaetana agnesi. The bell shaped witch of maria agnesi can be constructed in the following. The semicircle adc, on the diameter ac, being given. Witch of agnesi definition is a plane cubic curve that is symmetric about the yaxis and approaches the xaxis as an asymptote and that has the equation x2y 4a22a y. Agnesi was the first woman to publish a surviving work of mathematics. Its a curve, described in her book analytical institutions, published in 1748.
The witch of agnesi is the title of a novel by robert spiller. Italian mathematician, linguist and philosopher maria gaetana agnesi may 16. Her familys largess allowed her to print the book on 1044. The solution to one of its problems is a singularly gentle and graceful curve.