* First in the world: There is no conclusive evidence of a woman holding a full professorship in physics before the early 20th century. Some argue it was Hertha Ayrton (1854-1923), a British physicist who made significant contributions to the field of electric arcs. While she held a prestigious position at the Royal Society, she was never granted a full professorship.
* First in a specific country: This is where things get even more complex. Many countries had female physicists in the early 20th century, but the designation "professor" was often awarded differently, with some universities using the term "lecturer" or "reader" instead.
* First in a specific university: Here, the answer depends on the specific institution and the specific time period.
To accurately identify the "first" female physics professor, you would need to:
1. Define your criteria: What does "professor" mean in this context?
2. Specify a country or university: Are you looking for the first in a particular country, or the first at a specific university?
3. Research specific institutions and historical figures: This is necessary to uncover the detailed histories of individual institutions and women who worked within them.
While identifying the "first" female physics professor is a challenging task, exploring the history of female physicists and their contributions is an important step in understanding the fight for gender equality in science.
