Sophie Germain

Born in Paris, Sophie Germain lived at a time when formal education for women, especially in mathematics and science, was practically nonexistent. Undeterred, she taught herself from her father's library, often studying secretly at night, warmed only by stolen embers. Her parents initially tried to stop her, perhaps fearing she'd become too smart for marriage, or worse, too smart for them. She did not, however, convert to Judaism in the process. So that's a 0 on the I score.

Working under the pseudonym Monsieur Le Blanc to correspond with luminaries like Lagrange and Gauss, Germain made significant advancements in number theory, including a foundational contribution to Fermat's Last Theorem. She also did groundbreaking work on the theory of elasticity, essential for understanding how structures like bridges behave. In an era where women were often relegated to embroidery and domestic arts, Germain was busy calculating stress and strain, proving that intellect wasn't limited by gender.

Her achievements earned her recognition from the French Academy of Sciences, despite never being officially allowed to attend their sessions. She became the first woman to win a prize from the Academy and was posthumously awarded an honorary degree from the University of Göttingen. While she may not have been Jewish, her dedication to intellectual pursuit and breaking barriers certainly earns a high K score, bringing "nachas" to anyone who appreciates an underdog story.