The research conducted by Mary Cartwright into non-linear differential equations significantly advanced the understanding of dynamical systems. Her collaboration with J.E. Littlewood on the Van der Pol oscillator provided essential insights into the erratic behavior of radio and radar equipment during the 1940s, eventually becoming a foundational case study for the modern concept known as the butterfly effect.
Academic Formation
Born in 1900 in Aynho, United Kingdom, Cartwright attended the Godolphin School between 1916 and 1919. She continued her studies at St Hugh's College, Oxford, from 1919 to 1923. After holding teaching positions at The Alice Ottley School and Wycombe Abbey School, she returned to the University of Oxford from 1927 to 1930 to complete her doctoral research.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Research at Cambridge
In 1930, Cartwright moved to Girton College, Cambridge, where she served until 1959. During this period, she produced over ninety articles covering topics such as analytic functions, the zeros of integral functions, and the Dirichlet series. Her development of what is now called Cartwright's theorem utilized conformal mapping techniques to estimate the maximum modulus of analytic functions.
Dynamical Systems and Leadership
Tasked by the Radio Research Board to investigate differential equations, Cartwright collaborated with Littlewood to explain complex electrical fluctuations. Beyond her research, she served as principal of Girton College from 1949 to 1968. She also held the positions of chairperson for the London Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association, further shaping the academic landscape before her death in 1998.
Fast facts
- Born: 1900, Aynho
- Died: 1998, Cambridge
- First female mathematician elected Fellow of the Royal Society
- Recipient of the 1968 De Morgan Medal
- Principal of Girton College: 1949–1968
- Knighted as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire: 1969
- Recipient of the 1964 Sylvester Medal
Questions readers ask
What is Cartwright's theorem?
It is a mathematical theorem providing an estimate for the maximum modulus of an analytic function that takes the same value no more than p times in the unit disc.
Did Mary Cartwright contribute to chaos theory?
Yes, her work with J.E. Littlewood on the Van der Pol oscillator revealed the fine structure of solutions that is now considered a typical instance of the butterfly effect.
Achievements
- Fellow of the Royal Society — 1947
- Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire — 1969
- De Morgan Medal — 1968
- Sylvester Medal — 1964
- Held posts at The Alice Ottley School, Wycombe Abbey School and Girton College
- Fields: mathematics
.jpg)