Mathematics of the 19th century : mathematical logic, algebra, number theory, probability theory

This multi-authored effort, Mathematics of the nineteenth century (to be fol­ lowed by Mathematics of the twentieth century), is a sequel to the History of mathematics fram antiquity to the early nineteenth century, published in three 1 volumes from 1970 to 1972. For reasons explained below, our discussion of twentieth-century mathematics ends with the 1930s. Our general objectives are identical with those stated in the preface to the three-volume edition, i. e., we consider the development of mathematics not simply as the process of perfecting concepts and techniques for studying real-world spatial forms and quantitative relationships but as a social process as weIl. Mathematical structures, once established, are capable of a certain degree of autonomous development. In the final analysis, however, such immanent mathematical evolution is conditioned by practical activity and is either self-directed or, as is most often the case, is determined by the needs of society. Proceeding from this premise, we intend, first, to unravel the forces that shape mathe­ matical progress. We examine the interaction of mathematics with the social structure, technology, the natural sciences, and philosophy. Throughan anal­ ysis of mathematical history proper, we hope to delineate the relationships among the various mathematical disciplines and to evaluate mathematical achievements in the light of the current state and future prospects of the science. The difficulties confronting us considerably exceeded those encountered in preparing the three-volume edition. This multi-authored effort, Mathematics of the nineteenth century (to be folƯ lowed by Mathematics of the twentieth century), is a sequel to the History of mathematics fram antiquity to the early nineteenth century, published in three 1 volumes from 1970 to 1972. For reasons explained below, our discussion of twentieth-century mathematics ends with the 1930s. Our general objectives are identical with those stated in the preface to the three-volume edition, i. e., we consider the development of mathematics not simply as the process of perfecting concepts and techniques for studying real-world spatial forms and quantitative relationships but as a social process as weIl. Mathematical structures, once established, are capable of a certain degree of autonomous development. In the final analysis, however, such immanent mathematical evolution is conditioned by practical activity and is either self-directed or, as is most often the case, is determined by the needs of society. Proceeding from this premise, we intend, first, to unravel the forces that shape matheƯ matical progress. We examine the interaction of mathematics with the social structure, technology, the natural sciences, and philosophy. Throughan analƯ ysis of mathematical history proper, we hope to delineate the relationships among the various mathematical disciplines and to evaluate mathematical achievements in the light of the current state and future prospects of the science. The difficulties confronting us considerably exceeded those encountered in preparing the three-volume edition This book is the second volume of a study of the history of mathematics in the nineteenth century. The first part of the book describes the development of geometry. The many varieties of geometry are considered and three main themes are traced: the development of a theory of invariants and forms that determine certain geometric structures such as curves or surfaces; the enlargement of conceptions of space which led to non-Euclidean geometry; and the penetration of algebraic methods into geometry in connection with algebraic geometry and the geometry of transformation groups. The second part, on analytic function theory, shows how the work of mathematicians like Cauchy, Riemann and Weierstrass led to new ways of understanding functions. Drawing much of their inspiration from the study of algebraic functions and their integrals, these mathematicians and others created a unified, yet comprehensive theory in which the original algebraic problems were subsumed in special areas devoted to elliptic, algebraic, Abelian and automorphic functions. The use of power series expansions made it possible to include completely general transcendental functions in the same theory and opened up the study of the very fertile subject of entire functions. The following judgment of Chebyshev, from his paper "The drawing of geographical maps" ([B11], Vol. 5, pp. 150-157; Oeuvres, Vol. 1, pp. 239-247), is well-known: The majority of practical problems lead to maximum and minimum problems that are completely new to science, and only by solving those problems can we satisfy the requirements of practice, which always and everywhere seeks the best and most advantageous. Front Matter....Pages i-xiv Mathematical Logic....Pages 1-34 Algebra and Algebraic Number Theory....Pages 35-135 Problems of Number Theory....Pages 137-209 The Theory of Probability....Pages 211-282 Back Matter....Pages 283-308