July 2, 1839 - Ada Returns to Her Math Studies

In late 1839, when her third son was approximately three months old, Ada resumed her math studies. Ada studied calculus with her tutor “mathematician-logician Augustus De Morgan the first professor of mathematics at the University of London” (Britannica). He was also the “author of several textbooks, and not only a friend of Babbage’s,” but also a “friend of George Boole’s… the person who indirectly caused Boolean algebra to be invented” (Wolfram).

It is important to note that in the 1800s women could not attend universities. In a letter written by the mathematician Augustus De Morgan to Ada’s mother, he wrote that Ada’s talent could see her become “an original mathematical investigator, perhaps of first-rate eminence” (Crockett).

Ada was very pleased with herself and had quite a bit of confidence in her abilities. Ada wrote a letter to her mother “about her thoughts and aspirations” (Wolfram) on February 6, 1841, she stated …

“I believe myself to possess a most singular combination of qualities exactly fitted to make me pre-eminently a discoverer of the hidden realities of nature” (Wolfram).