You may not know her name, but your Google Maps, the location services on food delivery platforms, and even airplane navigation are all closely related to her. Dr. Gladys West, a mathematician hailed as one of the "hidden figures" in the field, recently passed away. Her mathematical model of the Earth, established in the 1970s and 80s, became the foundation for the Global Positioning System (GPS).Technical backbone.
From pen and paper calculations to satellite data
Gladys West was born in Virginia in 1930. During the era of Jim Crow laws, she overcame numerous obstacles to earn both her bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics from Virginia State University. In 1956, she began a 42-year public service career at what is now known as the Naval Surface Warfare Center.
In the 70s and 80s, when computer processing capabilities were not yet advanced, Gladys West's main task was to process extremely complex satellite data to create an accurate model of the Earth's shape (Geoid). This work required extremely intensive mathematical calculations to correct for errors caused by the Earth not being a "perfect sphere".
These precise mathematical models laid the foundation for the later GPS satellite constellation positioning algorithm.
A Belated Glory: A Contribution Hidden for Decades
Just like a movieThe Key Few The story in (Hidden Figures) tells of Gladys West, an African American woman whose contributions remained unknown to the world for a long time. It wasn't until 2018, when she submitted a brief biographical sketch to the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, that this history was unearthed.
That same year, she finally received long-awaited recognition, being inducted into the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame. Although the honor came late, it finally made the world aware of the existence of this behind-the-scenes force.
An interesting insistence: She actually prefers using paper maps.
Despite being instrumental in the development of GPS, he gave an interview to the British newspaper The Guardian in 2020.InterviewGladys West once shared an interesting detail: when she travels, she actually prefers using paper maps rather than relying on navigation technology. This might stem from a mathematician's caution regarding the possibility of technology making mistakes, or perhaps from confidence in her own mental processing abilities.
This morning the world lost a pioneer in Dr Gladys West, she passed peacefully alongside her family and friends and is now in heaven with her loved ones. We thank you in advance for all of the love and prayers you have and will continue to provide pic.twitter.com/FJ3aGfEiHP
— Dr. Gladys B. West (@DrGladysBWest) January 18, 2026
