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Happy birthday Agnesi!

Maria Gaetana Agnesi is credited to be the first western woman to gain a reputation as s mathematician. The mathematical curve that bears her name, the witch of Agnesi, appeared in her book Instituzioni analitiche ad uso della gioventù italiana. The curve is also known as cubique d’Agnesi or agnésienne. The “witch” denomination comes from a mistranslation (typical…) of the term “averisera” used by Agnesi in her book and transformed into “avversiera” (wife of the devil). Google celebrated Agnesi’s 296th birthday with a doodle of this curve.

 

 

agnesi

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