Maria Gaetana Agnesi

18th-century mathematician and philosopher, first woman to write a surviving mathematical textbook.

Maria Gaetana Agnesi (1718–1799), an Italian polymath, broke gender barriers in STEM during the Enlightenment. Her magnum opus, Instituzioni Analitiche (1748), systematically explained calculus and algebra, earning praise from academics across Europe. The book’s clarity made it a standard teaching resource, unprecedented for a female author at the time.

Agnesi is best known for the Witch of Agnesi, a cubic curve whose name resulted from a mistranslation of versiera (curve). Though she did not discover it, her analysis popularized the function in calculus. Beyond mathematics, she studied philosophy, linguistics, and theology, debating Cartesian ideas in scholarly salons hosted by her father.

Later in life, Agnesi abandoned academia to devote herself to charity, caring for the sick and poor in Milan. Pope Benedict XIV appointed her to the University of Bologna, but she never taught there. Her dual legacy as a mathematician and humanitarian challenges stereotypes about women's roles in science and society.

Agnesi's work exemplifies how intellectual rigor and compassion can coexist, inspiring future generations of women in STEM. Her story remains a testament to perseverance against societal constraints.