How a brilliant mathematician became a witch through a simple translation error

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Maria Gaetana Agnesi was a child prodigy and the first woman to write a comprehensive mathematics handbook. Yet, she is best remembered today for a curve named the Witch of Agnesi, a label born from a linguistic misunderstanding that transformed a geometric term into a supernatural moniker.

Born in Milan in 1718, Maria Gaetana Agnesi was recognized early as a polyglot prodigy, mastering seven languages by age eleven. Her father, a wealthy silk merchant, encouraged her intellectual development, hosting gatherings where she defended complex philosophical theses. By her early twenties, she had turned her focus to mathematics, studying calculus under the guidance of Ramiro Rampinelli. Her seminal work, Instituzioni analitiche, published in 1748, provided a systematic integration of algebra and infinitesimal calculus, earning praise from figures like Pope Benedict XIV and Empress Maria Theresa.

The curious name of her most famous curve, the Witch of Agnesi, stems from a mistranslation. Agnesi described the curve using the Italian word versiera, derived from the Latin adversarius, meaning an adversary or devil. While she intended the term to describe a specific geometric motion, later translators confused it with a word for a she-devil or witch. This error persisted, cementing the curve's spectral reputation in mathematical literature. Despite her academic success, Agnesi never fully embraced the life of a professional scholar. In 1750, she was appointed to a chair at the University of Bologna, but she never actually served in the role.

Following her father's death in 1752, Agnesi abandoned her mathematical pursuits to dedicate her life to theology and charity. She spent her final decades serving the poor, homeless, and sick in Milan, eventually becoming the director of the Pio Albergo Trivulzio. When she died in 1799, she was buried in a mass grave for the poor. Her legacy persists not only in the annals of calculus but also in celestial naming, with both an asteroid and a crater on Venus bearing her name, ensuring that the woman who once balanced the rational with the mystical remains a fixture of scientific history.

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