Pioneers of representation theory : Frobenius, Burnside, Schur, and Brauer

The AMS History of Mathematics series is one of the most popular items for bookstore sales. These books feature colorful, attractive covers that are perfect for face out displays. The topics will appeal to a broad audience in the mathematical and scientific communities. "The year 1897 was marked by two important mathematical events: the publication of the first paper on representations of finite groups by Ferdinand Georg Frobenius (1849-1917) and the appearance of the first treatise in English on the theory of finite groups by William Burnside (1852-1927). Burnside soon developed his own approach to representations of finite groups. In the next few years, working independently, Frobenius and Burnside explored the new subject and its applications to finite group theory." "They were soon joined in this enterprise by Issai Schur (1875-1941) and some years later, by Richard Brauer (1901-1977). These mathematicians' pioneering research is the subject of this book. It presents an account of the early history of representation theory through an analysis of the published work of the principals and others with whom the principals' work was interwoven. Also included are biographical sketches and enough mathematics to enable readers to follow the development of the subject. The volume would be a suitable text for a course on representations of finite groups, particularly one emphasizing an historical point of view."--Jacket Charles W. Curtis. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.