Mary Cartwright

Throughout history, there have been many memorable individuals who have created
groundbreaking ideas. Unfortunately, scholars pass away. Fortunately, their theories and
hypotheses continue. These ideas allow for other scholars to continue their work and build from
it. One notable scholar was Mary Cartwright. She was born December 19, 1990, and grew up to
become an outstanding British mathematician. Mary Cartwright is an impressive mathematician
because of her contributions to the Chaos Theory. In a predominantly male field, Cartwright
distinguished herself and became well known in the mathematics community.
Cartwright was the first woman to receive the Sylvester Medal. She also served on the
Council in the Royal Society, was the first woman to be president of the Mathematical
Association, and the first woman to be president of the London Mathematical Society. She was
distinguished in her career because of her contributions to the theory of functions and differential
equations. After her contributions to the field of mathematics, she died on April 3, 1998.
She spent most of her professional life studying the Chaos Theory. Chaos Theory is
defined, “the study of apparently random or unpredictable behavior in systems governed by
deterministic laws.” (Chaos Theory). A well-known example of Chaos Theory is the Butterfly
Effect. This line of thinking is that the weather in Russia will be influenced if a butterfly flaps its
wings in Utah. Chaos Theory is the mathematical way of determining the effects of small
changes. The change is seemingly small, but the effect of this change is so complex that it seems
random. This theory hypothesizes that one change can cause a ripple effect and reach so far and
become so complex that the effects seem to have no connection to the initial change.
Cartwright worked with J. E. Littlewood to develop and express mathematical concepts
through algebraic theorems. Cartwright and Littlewood were one of the first mathematicians to,
“recognize that topological and analytical methods could be combined to efficiently obtain
results for various problems in differential equations.” (McMurran). Their results lead to Smale's
horseshoe diffeomorphism. Smale's horseshoe diffeomorphism is central to our current
understanding of Chaos Theory.
Mary Cartwright published her theorem in 1935, the same year that Amelia Earhart flew
solo from Hawaii to California. This was also during the time of the Dust Bowl and The Great
Depression. The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression that lasted
throughout most of the 1930s. Although the world struggled, mathematicians' understandings
were stretched. Scholars continued to create more theories.
Even today, we continue to contribute new ideas to the field of mathematics. We need to
recognize the thousands of years that it takes for these complex ideas to develop. Without a
deeper understanding of mathematics, we may take for granted the theorems that exist today. As
an elementary school teacher, it can be beneficial to understand the history of math. It allows us
to make connections between the past and present. Understanding history and the development
of these ideas allows teachers and students to recognize how everything has been discovered,
how it relates to the math that they already understand, and it encourages creativity.
Students can learn about the scholars that came before them, and gain an appreciation for
their work/dedication. Mary Cartwright was one of many scholars who were very involved in
mathematics and were dedicated to their ideas and theories. Mary Cartwright will continue to
have an impact on mathematics for centuries. Her successes in the STEM field paved the way for
other female mathematicians and scholars to continue groundbreaking work in many industries.
Although scholars pass away, their work lives on and continues to alter the world. In the same
thinking as the Chaos Theory, Cartwright's contributions may have an effect on the world that
can never truly be proven to have any correlation.

Works Cited
“Chaos Theory.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,
www.britannica.com/science/chaos-theory.
“History of Scientific Women.” Mary CARTWRIGHT, scientificwomen.net/women/cartwright
mary-140.
McMurran, Shawnee, and James Tattersall. “The Mathematical Collaboration of M. L
Cartwright and J. E. Littlewood.” JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2974608?seq=1.

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Mary Cartwright

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Throughout history, there have been many memorable individuals who have created

become an outstanding British mathematician. Mary Cartwright is an impressive mathematician

distinguished herself and became well known in the mathematics community.

defined, “the study of apparently random or unpredictable behavior in systems governed by

Cartwright worked with J. E. Littlewood to develop and express mathematical concepts

horseshoe diffeomorphism. Smale's horseshoe diffeomorphism is central to our current

understanding of Chaos Theory.

were stretched. Scholars continued to create more theories.

can never truly be proven to have any correlation.

“Chaos Theory.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,

“History of Scientific Women.” Mary CARTWRIGHT, scientificwomen.net/women/cartwright

McMurran, Shawnee, and James Tattersall. “The Mathematical Collaboration of M. L

Cartwright and J. E. Littlewood.” JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2974608?seq=1.

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