Mathematical lives : protagonists of the twentieth century ; from Hilbert to Wiles

Steps Forward In Mathematics Often Reverberate In Other Scientific Disciplines, And Give Rise To Innovative Conceptual Developments Or Find Surprising Technological Applications. This Volume Brings To The Forefront Some Of The Proponents Of The Mathematics Of The Twentieth Century, Who Have Put At Our Disposal New And Powerful Instruments For Investigating The Reality Around Us. The Portraits Present People Who Have Impressive Charisma And Wide-ranging Cultural Interests, Who Are Passionate About Defending The Importance Of Their Own Research, Are Sensitive To Beauty, And Attentive To The Social And Political Problems Of Their Times. What We Have Sought To Document Is Mathematics’ Central Position In The Culture Of Our Day. Space Has Been Made Not Only For The Great Mathematicians But Also For Literary Texts, Including Contributions By Two Apparent Interlopers, Robert Musil And Raymond Queneau, For Whom Mathematical Concepts Represented A Valuable Tool For Resolving The Struggle Between ‘soul And Precision.’ Preface -- Hilbert’s Problems.-the Way We Were -- Intermezzo: Verlaine And Poincaré From Etudes Littéraires -- B.russell -- G.h.hardy -- E.noether -- Intermezzo: Carciopholus Romanus From Furor Mathematicus -- P.a.m.dirac -- J. Von Neumann -- K.gödel -- Intermezzo: In Homage To Gödel -- R.musil -- A.m.turing -- R.caccioppoli -- B. De Finetti -- A.n.kolmogorov -- Bourbaki -- R.queneau -- J.f.nash, Jr -- E.de Giorgi -- L.schwartz -- R.thom -- A.grothendick -- G.-c.rota -- S.smale -- M.f. Atiyah -- V.i.arnold -- E.bombieri -- M.gardner -- F.w.lawvere -- An Interview With A.wiles. Claudio Bartocci ... [et Al.], Editors ; Translated By Kim Williams. Originally Published In Italian As: Vite Matematiche : Protagonisti Del '900 Da Hilbert A Wiles. Milano : Springer, 2007. Based On Number 50-51 (december 2003-march 2004) Of The Journal Lettera Matematica Pristem, With Modifications--p. Ix. Includes Bibliographical References. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Hilbert’s Problems....Pages 1-10 The Way We Were....Pages 11-23 Verlaine and Poincaré....Pages 25-26 Bertrand Russell....Pages 27-35 Godfrey H. Hardy....Pages 37-41 Emmy Noether....Pages 43-52 Carciopholus Romanus....Pages 53-54 Paul Adrien Maurice Dirac....Pages 55-62 The Theoretical Intelligence and the Practical Vision of John von Neumann....Pages 63-68 Kurt Gödel....Pages 69-76 Hommage À Gödel....Pages 77-78 Robert Musil....Pages 79-90 The Life, Death and Miracles of Alan Mathison Turing....Pages 91-96 Renato Caccioppoli....Pages 97-107 Bruno de Finetti....Pages 109-113 A Committed Mathematician....Pages 115-116 Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov....Pages 117-121 Bourbaki....Pages 123-130 Writing and Mathematics in the Work of Raymond Queneau....Pages 131-136 John F. Nash Jr.....Pages 137-146 Ennio De Giorgi....Pages 147-155 Laurent Schwartz....Pages 157-164 René Thom....Pages 165-167 J.L. Borges, The Dream (El sueño)....Pages 169-169 Alexander Grothendieck: Enthusiasm and Creativity....Pages 171-180 Gian-Carlo Rota....Pages 181-189 Stephen Smale....Pages 191-196 Michael F. Atiyah....Pages 197-208 Vladimir Igorevich Arnold....Pages 209-211 Enrico Bombieri....Pages 213-215 Martin Gardner....Pages 217-220 Le Corbusier’s Door of Miracles....Pages 221-222 F. William Lawvere....Pages 223-230 Andrew Wiles....Pages 231-235 Mathematical Prizes....Pages 237-238 This volume brings to the forefront some of the proponents of the mathematics of the 20th century who have put at our disposal new and powerful instruments for investigating the reality around us. The portraits present impressive and passionate people