West, Gladys
1930-2024 · Contribution: 1950s-1980s
Mathematical modeling of Earth's geodetic shape, foundational to GPS technology
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Her mathematical modeling of the Earth's precise shape was foundational to the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS); inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2018.
Life & background
A mathematician at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia, West produced calculations modeling the precise shape of the Earth, work that became foundational to the satellite geodesy models underlying GPS technology. She was recognized decades later as one of the 'hidden figures' whose work shaped modern navigation technology.
Sources
- Encyclopædia Britannica; MacTutor History of Mathematics (University of St Andrews); U.S. Air Force (Space & Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame)
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