Émilie du Châtelet was a French mathematician, physicist and author during the Age of Enlightenment (1685-1815 AD).
Born on December 17, 1706, in Paris, she was the only daughter of Louis Nicolas le Tonnelier de Breteuil, a member of the lesser nobility. Despite societal norms, her father encouraged her interest in science and mathematics, introducing her to prominent scientists of the time.
At 19, Émilie married Marquis Florent-Claude du Chastellet-Lomont, an aristocratic French Army general and diplomat of the Ancien Régime, with whom she had three children.
Émilie resumed her mathematical studies at 26, tutored by Moreau de Maupertuis and later by Alexis Clairaut, both of them prodigy students of Johann Bernoulli, the father of infinitesimal calculus. Her work gained recognition, and she became known for her translations and original contributions to science and philosophy. Some notable achievements include:
- Institutions de Physique: The magnum opus, published in 1740, covers a wide range of topics, including the principles of knowledge, the existence of God, hypotheses, space, time, matter and the forces of nature. Several chapters treat Newton’s theory of universal gravity and associated phenomena.
- Translation of Newton’s Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica: Émilie’s most celebrated work is her translation and commentary on Isaac Newton’s groundbreaking work. Published posthumously in 1759, it remains the standard French translation to this day.
- Dissertation sur la nature et la propagation du feu: Émilie submitted an essay on the nature of fire to the Paris Academy as part of a contest, which was published in 1739.
Émilie collaborated with Voltaire, a French Enlightenment writer, philosopher, satirist and historian, particularly in popularising Newtonian physics in France. Voltaire deeply admired Émilie’s intellect, calling her a “great and powerful genius” and “a great man whose only fault was being a woman.”
CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, focusses on fundamental physics research, particularly particle physics. Their work relies heavily on understanding the laws of physics, including those developed by Newton, which Émilie du Châtelet helped to popularise. Centuries later, CERN scientists still cite her.
Émilie also contributed significantly to the understanding of kinetic energy, which is related to mv², a concept that laid the groundwork for Einstein’s E=mc² (theory of relativity).
She was one of the few women of her time to gain recognition in the fields of science and philosophy, and her work had a significant impact on the scientific community. Today, she is remembered as a trailblazer, and her legacy continues to inspire women in science and mathematics.
Émilie died on September 10, 1749, at the palace of Lunéville in Lorraine, due to complications from childbirth. She was 42 years old. Despite her untimely death, her work continues to be celebrated and studied, and her legacy as a pioneering scientist and philosopher endures.
The French Society of Physics awards the Émilie Du Châtelet Prize to physicists or researchers for excellence in physics. Duke University also presents an annual Du Châtelet Prize in Philosophy of Physics for previously unpublished work in philosophy of physics.
Image: A French postage stamp issued in 2019, commemorating the life and work of Émilie du Châtelet (1706-1749). Courtesy Science on Stamps at http://www.jgiesen.de