Emmy Noether (1882-1935) was a German mathematician of Jewish descent, one of the most influential mathematicians of the 20th century. The play delves into her struggles against gender barriers in academia and her forced exile from Germany during the Nazi regime. The play premiered on June 4, 2019, at Freie Universität Berlin, and since then has been performed to much acclaim in many European countries. In 2022 it was performed at nine academic institutions in the US, followed by a tour in 2023. The third US tour of Portraittheater Vienna kicks off with the performances in Norman on March 27.
Math background is not expected to enjoy the play!
The David and Judi Proctor Department of Mathematics gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the OU Helmerich School of Drama and the partial financial support of the OU Schusterman Center for Judaic and Israel Studies.
Director
Sandra Schüddekopf
Writers
Sandra Schüddekopf and Anita Zieher
Scientific Consultants
David Rowe, University of Mainz and Mechthild Koreuber, Freie Universität Berlin
Date
March 27
Showtimes
5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Location
E. Frank Gilson Lab Theatre (Old Science Hall, 640 Parrington Oval)
Tickets
$5 for OU students, $10 general admission
Emmy Noether (1882-1935) was a German mathematician, one of the most influential mathematicians of 20th century. Her research was mostly on algebra, but she also proved some theorems of fundamental importance for modern theoretical physics. Her life was complicated, not only by the fact that she was a woman in academia in early 20th century, but also because she was Jewish and had to leave Germany in 1933. She emigrated to the US and taught at Bryn Mawr College but died of natural causes only two years later.
Noether’s works left a lasting mark on modern algebra, opening new avenues for a modern structural perspective in mathematics. Her accomplishments were even more stunning because she began her studies at a time when women had only begun to break down the barriers that prevented them from attending German universities. After taking her doctorate, she eventually overcame even stronger resistance before finally gaining the right to teach (without salary!) at a German university. It took her four years before she acquired that certification (Habilitation) in Goettingen on June 4, 1919, after submitting a thesis in which she solved one of the central problems in Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. The play delves into her struggles against gender barriers in academia and her forced exile from Germany during the Nazi regime.
David Rowe is a Professor of History of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. He holds a doctorate in Math from OU under the direction of Prof. Leonard Rubin (dissertation title: A Study of Borsuk’s Hyperspace 2hX) and a doctorate in History from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York under the direction of Joseph W. Dauben (dissertation title: Klein, Hilbert, and the Göttingen Mathematical Tradition).
Inspired by their work on the play, David Rowe and Mechthild Koreuber wrote the book Proving It Her Way: Emmy Noether, a Life in Mathematics (Springer, 2020).
