▁professor ▁of ▁mathematics ▁in ▁France , ▁and ▁an ▁expert ▁on ▁fluid ▁mechan ics ▁and ▁abstract ▁algebra . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁education ▁Marie - Lou ise ▁Jac ot in ▁was ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁a ▁lawyer ▁for ▁a ▁French ▁bank , ▁and ▁the ▁grand - d augh ter ▁( through ▁her ▁mother ) ▁of ▁a ▁glass b lower ▁from ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁Greek ▁origin . ▁Her ▁mathematics ▁teacher ▁at ▁the ▁l yc ée ▁was ▁a ▁sister ▁of ▁math ematic ian ▁É lie ▁Cart an , ▁and ▁after ▁passing ▁the ▁b ac cala ure ate ▁she ▁was ▁allowed ▁( through ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁a ▁friend ' s ▁father , ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁institution ) ▁to ▁continue ▁studying ▁mathematics ▁at ▁the ▁Coll ège ▁de ▁Ch apt al . ▁On ▁her ▁second ▁attempt , ▁she ▁placed ▁second ▁in ▁the ▁entrance ▁exam ination ▁for ▁the ▁É cole ▁Norm ale ▁Sup érieure ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁( t ied ▁with ▁Claude ▁Che val ley ), ▁but ▁by ▁a ▁minister ial ▁dec ree ▁was ▁moved ▁down ▁to ▁ 2 1 st ▁position . ▁After ▁the ▁inter vention ▁of ▁Fern and ▁Haus er , ▁the ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁Journal ▁of ▁the ▁E NS , ▁she ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁school . ▁Her ▁teachers ▁there ▁included ▁Henri ▁Leb es gue ▁and ▁Jacques ▁Had am ard , ▁and ▁she ▁finished ▁her ▁studies ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁encourag ement ▁of ▁E NS ▁director ▁Ernest ▁V ess iot ▁she ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Os lo