The Witch of Agnesi was a curve that was studied by Agnesi and Fermat. The name of the curve originated when John Colson was translating Agnesi’s work and wound up translating it accidentally as Witch.

The curve was studied by Maria Agnesi in 1748.

In Italian, the curve is called la versiera di Agnesi which means “the curve of Agnesi”. Early on this was read by Cambridge professor John Colson as “l’avversiera di Agnesi”, where “avversiera” means “woman contrary to God” and hence “witch”, and the mistranslation into English stuck

The answers :
1.Maria Gaetana Agnesi
2.The witch of Agnesi.
3.Johnathan ‘John’ Colson

Check out the story @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Gaetana_Agnesi

Gist :
Colson, who translated Agnesi’s text to English, perhaps confused “la versiera” with “l’avversiera”, and so mistranslated it as “she-devil” or “the witch”, with the result that English-speakers and, for some reason, Spanish speakers from Mexico, Cuba, and Spain, know the curve as the “Witch of Agnesi

Story :
Madame Agnesi also wrote a commentary on the Traite analytique des sections coniques du marquis de l\’Hôpital, which, though highly praised by those who saw it in manuscript, was never published. She discussed the curve known as the \

In Italian, the curve is called la versiera di Agnesi which means “the curve of Agnesi”. Early on this was read by Cambridge professor John Colson as “l’avversiera di Agnesi”, where “avversiera” means “woman contrary to God” and hence “witch”, and the mistranslation into English stuck