Bourbaki : a secret Society of Mathematicians

Translated from French. From Preface: Let's say it straightaway: Nicolas Bourbaki is not an individual but a group of mathematicians, almost all French. Formed in 1935, this colorful group consists of a dozen members and re­ mains active today. Despite being unknown to most of the general pub­lic, these mathematicians changed the face of mathematics during the sixties and seventies. The name Bourbaki is known to every mathematician. Many also know something of the origins of Bourbaki, yet few know the full story. In 1935, a small group of young mathematicians in France decided to write a fundamental treatise on analysis to replace the standard texts of the time. They ended up writing the most influential and sweeping mathematical treatise of the twentieth century, Les elements de mathematique. Maurice Mashaal lifts the veil from this secret society, showing us how heated debates, schoolboy humor, and the devotion and hard work of the members produced the ten books that took them over sixty years to write. The book has many first-hand accounts of the origins of Bourbaki, their meetings, their seminars, and the members themselves. He also discusses the lasting influence that Bourbaki has had on mathematics, through both the Elements and the Seminaires. The book is illustrated with numerous remarkable photographs. Readership: Students, mathematicians, and historians interested in the group of mathematicians known as Bourbaki--Publisher's blurb En 1935, une poignée de jeunes mathématiciens se réunissent dans un café du quartier latin à Paris. Leur but: rédiger un traité d'analyse qui permettra de réorganiser et de clarifier les mathématiques en utilisant une terminologie et des notations bien pensées. Cette entreprise secrète, nommée Nicolas Bourbaki, réunira les plus grands mathématiciens français et leur œuvre monumentale bouleversera les mathématiques. Ainsi, pendant plus de 60 ans, farces, plaisanteries de potaches et mathématiques de haut vol émaneront de cette société secrète. Mais, où en sont les membres actuels ? 1. A Group Forms 2. The Story of a Name 3. Young Turks against Stubborn Priests 4. Bourbaki’s Eléments de Mathématique 5. Towards Axioms and Structures 6. A Snapshot of Bourbaki’s Work: Filters 7. The Bourbaki Seminar 8. Subtle and Austere Schoolboys 9. “For the Honor of the Human Spirit”? 10. New Math in the Classroom 11. An Immortal Mathematician? Maurice Mashaal ; Translated By Anna Pierrehumbert. Translation Of: Bourbaki : Une Société Secrète De Mathématiciens. Includes Bibliographical References.