Film portrait Olga Ladyzhenskaya
12 May is International Women in Mathematics Day. Since 2019, it has commemorated the important role of female mathematicians in their field. To mark this occasion the Department is showing a portrait of the Russian mathematician Olga Ladyzhenskaya.
About the film
The film tells the story of Olga Aleksandrovna Ladyzhenskaya, a world-famous mathematician, who's ideas influenced the development of modern mathematical physics.
About Olga Ladyzhenskaya
Olga Aleksandrovna Ladyzhenskaya (1922–2004) was a renowned Russian mathematician celebrated for her contributions to partial differential equations and fluid dynamics. Born in Kologriv, Russia, she was inspired by her father, a mathematics teacher, who nurtured her early interest in the subject. Tragically, in 1937, her father was arrested and executed as an "enemy of the people," impacting her educational opportunities.
Despite these challenges, Ladyzhenskaya graduated from Moscow State University in 1947. She made significant advancements in the mathematical theory of viscous incompressible flow and provided rigorous proofs concerning the Navier–Stokes equations. Her work has been instrumental in understanding fluid dynamics and solving complex partial differential equations.
Throughout her career, she received numerous accolades, including the Lomonosov Gold Medal in 2002. Beyond mathematics, Ladyzhenskaya had a profound appreciation for the arts and maintained friendships with literary figures like Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and poet Anna Akhmatova. She passed away in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 2004, leaving a lasting legacy in the field of mathematics.
Producer Ekaterina Eremenko
external page Ekaterina Eremenko is a producer, film director, and writer. She graduated from Moscow State University’s Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, later expanding her creative pursuits at the Film Directing Department of the Moscow State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK). Combining her analytical background with cinematic artistry, she has created films that make complex mathematical concepts accessible to wider audiences. Currently, she is dedicated to finding new formats to popularize mathematics and highlight the work of mathematicians.