The MPIWG is a co-organizer of the Emmy Noether Conference. This interdisciplinary symposium is being held on the occasion of the centenary of Emmy Noether’s habilitation.

Emmy Noether, one of the world’s most influential mathematicians, defined modern algebra with her “methods of working and thinking” and thus made significant contributions to the algebraisation of mathematics. By developing a  structural perspective on mathematics, she introduced new ways of mathematical investigation. Her habilitation thesis, published in 1918, solved central mathematical problems of general relativity. On June 4, 1919, she defended her habilitation, becoming the first woman in Prussia to complete this step of her scientific career.

In celebration of that achievement, this interdisciplinary symposium asks, “How do new concepts emerge?” It is hosted by the Berlin Mathematics Research Center MATH+, the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, and the Chief Gender Equality Officer of Freie Universität Berlin. The conference seeks to examine Emmy Noether’s relevance today from the perspectives of various academic fields: mathematics, physics, history of science, and philosophy of science. Furthermore, it considers the mechanisms of discrimination which Emmy Noether faced as a Jewish woman throughout her career in German academia and which continued to affect the posthumous reception of her work.

The conference calls for dialogue transcending disciplinary boundaries. In the spirit of Emmy Noether, it focuses on an openness to new ways of thinking and encourages scrutinising established academic and societal structures in order to bring innovation into the world.

For further information and to view the programme, visit the symposium website.