1919-1985

American Mathematician

Julia Robinson was a prominent mathematician who devoted her career to applying number theory methodology to the resolution of mathematical logic problems. The Julia Robinson Hypothesis led to the solution of Hilbert's Tenth Problem, which mathematicians had pondered for decades and feared was unsolvable. She also achieved scientific leadership positions previously not held by female mathematicians and used her influence to seek equal opportunities for all scholars. Considered a mentor and exemplary figure, Robinson inspired mathematicians of both genders to approach mathematical puzzles with ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Robinson was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 8, 1919, to Ralph Bowers and Helen (Hall) Bowman. When she was two-years old, her mother died. Robinson lived first in her grandmother's home in Phoenix, Arizona, and then in San Diego, California, when her father remarried. Suffering scarlet fever when she was nine, Robinson was quarantined...