Black and white photo of Irene Stegun. She is looking directly at the camera, wearing a string of pearls and a dark sweater.

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1. Robert McNees (mcnees@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 09-Feb-2023 14:57:07 UTC Robert McNees

   Did you know that a famous math reference – most physicists of a certain age have a copy – is the result of a New Deal project to employ scientists and mathematicians?

   Mathematician Irene Stegun was born #OTD in 1919. A major contributor to the Works Progress Administration’s Mathematical Tables Project, she’s probably best known as co-author of the classic “A Handbook of Mathematical Functions” — usually referred to as “Abramowitz and Stegun.”