I, Mathematician (spectrum)

Collection of articles. — The Mathematical Association of America, Washington, MAA Service Center, 2015. — 290 p. — (Spectrum Series). — ISBN: 978-1-61444-521-1 Mathematicians have pondered the psychology of the members of our tribe probably since mathematics was invented, but for certain since Hadamard's The Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field. The editors asked two dozen prominent mathematicians (and one spouse thereof) to ruminate on what makes us different. The answers they got are thoughtful, interesting and thought-provoking. Not all respondents addressed the question directly. Michael Atiyah reflects on the tension between truth and beauty in mathematics. T.W. Körner, Alan Schoenfeld and Hyman Bass chose to write, reflectively and thoughtfully, about teaching and learning. Others, including Ian Stewart and Jane Hawkins, write about the sociology of our community. Many of the contributions range into philosophy of mathematics and the nature of our thought processes. Any mathematician will find much of interest here. At The Maa Summer Mathfest In 2007, Peter Casazza, Steven Krantz, And Frank Morgan Were Invited To Organize A Special Session Entitled The Psychology Of The Mathematician. The Avowed Purpose Of That Event Was To Discuss What Mathematicians Think Of Themselves And What Others Think Of Us...as A Consequence, Maa Editor Don Albers Invited Us To Produce A Volume Inspired By Our Special Session.-- Preface. Who Are Mathematicians?. Mathematicians And Mathematics / Michael Aschbacher ; What Are Mathematicians Really Like? Observations Of A Spouse / Pamela Aschbacher ; Mathematics : Art And Science / Michael Atiyah ; A Mathematician's Survival Guide / Peter G. Casazza ; We Are Different / Underwood Dudley ; The Naked Lecturer / T.w. Körner ; Through A Glass Darkly / Steven G. Krantz ; What's A Nice Guy Like Me Doing In A Place Like This? / Alan H. Schoenfeld ; A Mathematician's Eye View / Ian Stewart ; I Am A Mathematician / V.s. Varadarajan -- On Becoming A Mathematician. Mathematics And Teaching / Hyman Bass ; Who We Are And How We Got That Way? / Jonathan M. Borwein ; Social Class And Mathematical Values In The U.s.a. / Roger Cooke ; The Badly Taught High School Calculus Lesson And The Mathematical Journey It Led Me To / Keith Devlin ; The Psychology Of Being A Mathematician / Sol Garfunkel ; Dynamics Of Mathematical Groups / Jane Hawkins ; Mathematics, Art, Civilization / Yuri I. Manin ; Questions About Mathematics / Harold R. Parks ; A Woman Mathematician's Journey / Mei-chi Shaw -- Why I Became A Mathematician. Why I Became A Mathematician : A Personal Account / Harold P. Boas ; Why I Became A Mathematician? / Aline Bonami ; Why I Am A Mathematician / John P. D'angelo ; Why I Am A Mathematician / Robert E. Greene ; Why I Am A Mathematician / Jenny Harrison ; Why I Became A Mathematician / Rodolfo H. Torres. Edited By Peter Casazza, Steven G. Krantz, Randi D. Ruden. Includes Bibliographical References. Who are mathematicians?. Mathematicians and mathematics / Michael Aschbacher ; What are mathematicians really like? Observations of a spouse / Pamela Aschbacher ; Mathematics : art and science / Michael Atiyah ; A mathematician's survival guide / Peter G. Casazza ; We are different / Underwood Dudley ; The naked lecturer / T.W. Korner ; Through a glass darkly / Steven G. Krantz ; What's a nice guy like me doing in a place like this? / Alan H. Schoenfeld ; A mathematician's eye view / Ian Stewart ; I am a mathematician / V.S. Varadarajan -- On becoming a mathematician. Mathematics and teaching / Hyman Bass ; Who we are and how we got that way? / Jonathan M. Borwein ; Social class and mathematical values in the U.S.A. / Roger Cooke ; The badly taught high school Calculus lesson and the mathematical journey it led me to / Keith Devlin ; The psychology of being a mathematician / Sol Garfunkel ; Dynamics of mathematical groups / Jane Hawkins ; Mathematics, art, civilization / Yuri I. Manin ; Questions about mathematics / Harold R. Parks ; A woman mathematician's journey / Mei-Chi Shaw -- Why I became a mathematician. Why I became a mathematician : a personal account / Harold P. Boas ; Why I became a mathematician? / Aline Bonami ; Why I am a mathematician / John P. D'Angelo ; Why I am a mathematician / Robert E. Greene ; Why I am a mathematician / Jenny Harrison ; Why I became a mathematician / Rodolfo H. Torres "At the MAA Summer MathFest in 2007, Peter Casazza, Steven Krantz, and Frank Morgan were invited to organize a special session entitled "The Psychology of the Mathematician." The avowed purpose of that event was to discuss what mathematicians think of themselves and what others think of us ... As a consequence, MAA editor Don Albers invited us to produce a volume inspired by our special session."--Preface What do mathematicians think of themselves, and what do others think of them? A large and diverse group of mathematicians and mathematical people were assembled to offer their views on these matters. These contributions represent a vast array of perspectives on the psychology of the mathematician.