https://www.sophie-germain.com/250/videos/the-life-of-sophie-germain/ https://www.sophie-germain.com/250/thumbnails/the-life-of-sophie-germain.jpg The life of Sophie Germain Sophie Germain’s story is one of exceptional talent and persistence. This talk describes the main stages of her life: her childhood in revolutionary Paris, her use of the pseudonym Monsieur Le Blanc, her correspondence with Gauss, her rivalry with Poisson, and her eventual success in winning the Academy of Sciences’ Grand Prix for her work on vibrating plates. https://www.youtube.com/embed/i6_8TjPvyG4 https://www.sophie-germain.com/250/videos/sophie-germains-favourite-problem/ https://www.sophie-germain.com/250/thumbnails/sophie-germains-favourite-problem.jpg Sophie Germain’s favourite problem Sophie Germain’s favourite unsolved problem, to which she devoted much of her research, is known as Fermat’s Last Theorem. This was a centuries-old mystery that catalysed the development of modern number theory, and that was finally resolved at the end of the 20th century in a stunning breakthrough by Sir Andrew Wiles. This talk gives a gentle introduction to the old and new mathematics surrounding Fermat’s Last Theorem. https://www.youtube.com/embed/OZ5kAWBE5vg https://www.sophie-germain.com/250/videos/live-chladni-figures-demonstration/ https://www.sophie-germain.com/250/thumbnails/live-chladni-figures-demonstration.jpg Live Chladni figures demonstration A live demonstration of Chladni figures: as the plate vibrates, sand collects along its nodal lines, revealing the resonance patterns that inspired Sophie Germain’s prize-winning work on elastic surfaces. https://www.youtube.com/embed/rX4Lwlo_Fkg https://www.sophie-germain.com/250/videos/research-on-the-theory-of-elastic-surfaces/ https://www.sophie-germain.com/250/thumbnails/research-on-the-theory-of-elastic-surfaces.jpg Research on the theory of elastic surfaces Chladni’s experiments with vibrating plates sparked Sophie Germain’s research on elastic surfaces. This talk presents the ingenious ideas she developed, ultimately leading to the invention of the mean curvature, the correct equation with Lagrange’s input, and the prix extraordinaire of the Academy. https://www.youtube.com/embed/6svmz1B_8mU https://www.sophie-germain.com/250/videos/sophie-germain-and-prime-numbers/ https://www.sophie-germain.com/250/thumbnails/sophie-germain-and-prime-numbers.jpg Sophie Germain and prime numbers One of Sophie Germain’s fundamental contributions was to connect Fermat’s Last Theorem with questions on the distribution of prime numbers. This talk describes Sophie Germain’s work, its relevance today, and progress towards resolving the questions she asked. https://www.youtube.com/embed/yq4zHsdOy54