A History in Sum : 150 Years of Mathematics at Harvard (1825–1975)

In the twentieth century, American mathematicians began to make critical advances in a field previously dominated by Europeans. Harvard's mathematics department was at the center of these developments. __A History in Sum__ is an inviting account of the pioneers who trailblazed a distinctly American tradition of mathematics--in algebraic geometry and topology, complex analysis, number theory, and a host of esoteric subdisciplines that have rarely been written about outside of journal articles or advanced textbooks. The heady mathematical concepts that emerged, and the men and women who shaped them, are described here in lively, accessible prose. The story begins in 1825, when a precocious sixteen-year-old freshman, Benjamin Peirce, arrived at the College. He would become the first American to produce original mathematics--an ambition frowned upon in an era when professors largely limited themselves to teaching. Peirce's successors--William Fogg Osgood and Maxime Bôcher--undertook the task of transforming the math department into a world-class research center, attracting to the faculty such luminaries as George David Birkhoff. Birkhoff produced a dazzling body of work, while training a generation of innovators--students like Marston Morse and Hassler Whitney, who forged novel pathways in topology and other areas. Influential figures from around the world soon flocked to Harvard, some overcoming great challenges to pursue their elected calling. __A History in Sum__ elucidates the contributions of these extraordinary minds and makes clear why the history of the Harvard mathematics department is an essential part of the history of mathematics in America and beyond. Benjamin Peirce And The Science Of Necessary Conclusions -- Osgood, Bocher, And The Great Awakening In American Mathematics -- The Dynamical Presence Of George David Birkhoff -- Analysis And Algebra Meet Topology: Marston Morse, Hassler Whitney, And Saunders Mac Lane -- Analysis Most Complex: Lars Ahlfors Gives Function Theory A Geometric Spin -- The War And Its Aftermath: Andrew Gleason, George Mackey, And An Assignation In Hilbert Space -- The Europeans: Oscar Zariski, Richard Brauer, And Raoul Bott. Steve Nadis And Shing-tung Yau. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 211-239) And Index. In the twentieth century, mathematicians at Harvard University trailblazed a distinctly American tradition in algebraic geometry and topology, complex analysis, number theory, and other esoteric fields. Written in accessible prose, A History in Sum takes a close look at the contributions to higher mathematics of these extraordinary minds. In the twentieth century, mathematicians at Harvard University trailblazed a distinctly American tradition in algebraic geometry and topology, complex analysis, number theory, and other esoteric fields. Written in accessible prose, this title takes a close look at the contributions to higher mathematics of these extraordinary minds. This book presents a history of the professors of the Harvard mathematics department and their contribution to the history of mathematics in America