Philosophy and Fun of Algebra

Mary Everest Boole

Mary Everest Boole was a self-taught mathematician married to logical pioneer George Boole during his years in Cork, Ireland. She is known as an author of didactic works on mathematics, such as Philosophy and Fun of Algebra. Her unconventional ideas on education, as expounded in The Preparation of the Child for Science, included encouraging children to explore mathematics through playful activities such as curve stitching. Her life is of interest to feminists as an example of how women made careers in an academic system that did not welcome them.