From Virginia to the Stars: Gladys West and the Mathematics of Navigation

From Virginia to the Stars: Gladys West and the Mathematics of Navigation

The recent passing away of Gladys West marks the end of an extraordinary scientific journey — one that remained in the shadows for far too long. An American mathematician, she is now widely recognized as one of the key figures behind the foundational work that made satellite navigation — and ultimately the Global Positioning System (GPS) possible. Although her name was not always associated with this indispensable technology, US military archive…