L.E.J. Brouwer - Topologist, Intuitionist, Philosopher: How Mathematics Is Rooted in Life

ISBN-13: 9781447169901 / Angielski / Miękka / 2016 / 875 str.

Dirk Van Dalen

Opis

Dutch mathematician and philosopher Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer belonged to a special class of genius and was one of the key players in topology. This book details of the life and work of this complex and often controversial genius.

Recenzje

From the book reviews:

"Van Dalen's biography of Brouwer should be read by anyone interested in the great man's life. It is a marvellously researched, non-judgmental, and comprehensive book that touches on all aspects of Brouwer's life and his cultural and intellectual milieu. ... As far as the style is concerned, the writing is clear and engaging." (A. C. Paseau, The Mathematical Gazette, Vol. 98 (543), November, 2014)

Spis treści

​Child and Student.- Mathematics and Mysticism.- The Dissertation.-Cantor-Schoenflies Topology.- The New Topology.- Making a Career.- The War Years.- Mathematics after the War.- Politics and Mathematics.- The Breakthrough.- The Fathers of Dimension.- Progress, Recognition, and Frictions.- From Berlin to Vienna.- The Three Battles.- The Thirties.- War and Occupation.- Post-War Events.- The Restless Emeritus.

Blurb

Dirk van Dalen’s biography studies the fascinating life of the famous Dutch mathematician and philosopher Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer.

Brouwer belonged to a special class of genius; complex and often controversial and gifted with a deep intuition, he had an unparalleled access to the secrets and intricacies of mathematics.
 
Most mathematicians remember L.E.J. Brouwer from his scientific breakthroughs in the young subject of topology and for the famous Brouwer fixed point theorem. Brouwer’s main interest, however, was in the foundation of mathematics which led him to introduce, and then consolidate, constructive methods under the name ‘intuitionism’. This made him one of the main protagonists in the ‘foundation crisis’ of mathematics.

As a confirmed internationalist, he also got entangled in the interbellum struggle for the ending of the boycott of German and Austrian scientists. This time during the twentieth century was turbulent; nationalist resentment and friction between formalism and intuitionism led to the Mathematische Annalen conflict ('The war of the frogs and the mice'). It was here that Brouwer played a pivotal role.

The present biography is an updated revision of the earlier two volume biography in one single book. It appeals to mathematicians and anybody interested in the history of mathematics in the first half of the twentieth century.