Cecilia Krieger

Cypra Cecilia Krieger-Dunaij (9 April 1894 – 17 August 1974) was an Austro-Hungarian (more specifically, Galician)-born mathematician of Jewish ancestry who lived and worked in Canada. Krieger was the third person (and first woman) to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics from a university in Canada, which she received from the University of Toronto in 1930. She was the third woman to have been awarded a doctorate in any discipline in Canada. Krieger is well known for having translated two works of Wacław Sierpiński in general topology. The Krieger–Nelson Prize, awarded annually by the Canadian Mathematical Society since 1995 for outstanding research by a female mathematician, is named in honour of Krieger and Evelyn Nelson.

Publications

In 1934, Krieger published an English translation of Sierpinski's book Introduction to General Topology. She also translated General Topology by Sierpinski in 1952, adding a 30-page appendix on infinite cardinals and ordinals.

Recognition

Krieger was a strong supporter of women in mathematics. In honour of the contributions of Krieger and Evelyn Nelson, the Canadian Mathematical Society created the Krieger–Nelson Prize in 1995. It is awarded to an outstanding woman in mathematics.