Sophia Kovalevskaya is an outstanding scientist, whose works are relevant to this day. Being out of favor with her homeland, she was able to achieve extraordinary heights in such a complex science as mathematics. If the queen of sciences is mathematics, then Kovalevskaya was the queen of mathematics.
Childhood and youth
Sofya Vasilievna Kovalevskaya was born on January 3, 1850 in Moscow. The girl was born in a complete family. Her father was a highly disciplined man, since he was a military man. The sofa was not the only child. She had a brother and sister.
After the father of the family resigned, the whole family began to live in the family estate. When Sofya was 6 years old, a teacher was hired for her. Oddly enough, but the only thing to which the girl’s soul did not lie was arithmetic. However, soon, everything quickly changed. Young Kovalevskaya studied arithmetic for 4.5 years, and during this time she reached extraordinary heights in the study of this subject, since she began to pay most attention to it. Then one teacher was replaced by another, with whom the girl could solve more complex problems of arithmetic. And in the first lesson, the new teacher was amazed at how quickly Kovalevskaya assimilates material unfamiliar to her.
After home schooling, Sofya had to get higher education. However, at that time it could only be done abroad, since in Russia girls were forbidden to enter universities. Thus, Sofya urgently needed a passport, which was issued only with the consent of her parents (in this case, her father had the last word) or her husband. But the father refused to give his consent, because he did not want his daughter to study anywhere. He did not see the point. But the love of mathematics was stronger than father's prohibitions.
Personal life and departure abroad
Then Korvin-Krukovskaya (that was her last name at birth) decides to get married. So in her personal life appeared Vladimir Kovalevsky, with whom she entered into a fictitious marriage, if only to go abroad. Newly made husband and wife leave for Germany in 1868, when he was 26 years old and she was 18.
In Germany, Sophia studies first at a university near Koenigsberg, and then in Berlin. It is worth noting that an exception was made for her at the University of Berlin, since girls were forbidden to attend lectures. Therefore, one of the professors personally supervised her, as he wanted to fully reveal the potential of Kovalevskaya in science. In 1874, after graduating from university, the young scientist Kovalevskaya received a doctorate in mathematical philosophy.
Fictitious marriage, meanwhile, is overgrown with real feelings, and in 1878 a couple was born a daughter.
Return to Russia
After obtaining a degree, she and her husband return to Russia, in which, since their departure, nothing has changed: the girls were still forbidden to do science to the extent that Kovalevskaya wanted.
In addition, the birth of a child was not without consequences: the girl began to develop severe heart disease. For six months after giving birth, Sophia observed bed rest.
It would seem that such an event as the birth of a child should have united the family even more. However, a relationship began between the spouses. But not because of the newborn daughter, but because of different views on life. For some time they even had to live separately. Sophia with her daughter went to Berlin, and her husband went to Odessa. In 1883, Vladimir Kovalevsky committed suicide.
