Sophie Germain. Revolutionary mathematician (Q2309209)

Not much is known about Sophie Germain's life. Through preserved letters to, from, and about Germain, some particulars are documented in detail. But at the same time we are in the dark even as to many basic facts about her life and work. The serviceable biography under review surveys what is known and what can reasonably be inferred or guessed from the existing record, including critically examining questionable claims in previous biographical accounts such as Germain allegedly being under the tutelage of Lagrange, for which there is little evidence. The author is honest about the limitations of the evidence, and even devotes a specific chapter to ``unanswered questions''. A large part of the book is filled with material that is better known but only tangentially related to Germain. For instance, one chapter is devoted to short biographies of eleven other mathematicians, mostly as subjects in their own right, with only brief notes on their connection to Germain. When it comes to Germain's mathematics, on elasticity and number theory, the author summarises what is known but does not attempt much in the way of new interpretation or analysis. Much of the text is instead taken up by extensive surveys of the state of these fields before and after Germain. Like the chapter of short biographies, and long sections on the general political history of the time, this will be useful to novice readers who need such context to situate Germain, but historians will find little new in these sections, which constitute a large part of the book.