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International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

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A richer picture of mathematics

the Göttingen tradition and beyond

David E. Rowe

Abstract

Historian David E. Rowe captures the rich tapestry of mathematical creativity in this collection of essays from the “Years Ago” column of The Mathematical Intelligencer. With topics ranging from ancient Greek mathematics to modern relativistic cosmology, this collection conveys the impetus and spirit of Rowe’s various and many-faceted contributions to the history of mathematics. Centered on the Göttingen mathematical tradition, these stories illuminate important facets of mathematical activity often overlooked in other accounts. Six sections place the essays in chronological and thematic order, beginning with new introductions that contextualize each section. The essays that follow recount episodes relating to the section’s overall theme. All of the essays in this collection, with the exception of two, appeared over the course of more than 30 years in The Mathematical Intelligencer. Based largely on archival and primary sources, these vignettes offer unusual insights into behind-the-scenes events. Taken together, they aim to show how Göttingen managed to attract an extraordinary array of talented individuals, several of whom contributed to the development of a new mathematical culture during the first decades of the twentieth century. 

Details | Table of Contents

Introduction to part I David E. Rowe

pp.3-18

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_1
On Gauss and Gaussian legends

a quiz

David E. Rowe

pp.19-28

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_2
Gauss, Dirichlet, and the law of biquadratic reciprocity David E. Rowe

pp.29-39

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_3
Episodes in the Berlin-Göttingen rivalry, 1870–1930 David E. Rowe

pp.41-49

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_4
Deine Sonia

a reading from a burned letter by Reinhard Bölling, translated by D. E. Rowe

David E. Rowe

pp.51-56

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_5
Who linked Hegel's philosophy with the history of mathematics? David E. Rowe

pp.57-65

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_6
Introduction to part II David E. Rowe

pp.69-79

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_7
Models as research tools

Plücker, Klein, and Kummer surfaces

David E. Rowe

pp.81-94

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_8
Debating Grassmann's mathematics

Schlegel vs. Klein

David E. Rowe

pp.95-103

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_9
Three letters from Sophus Lie to Felix Klein on mathematics in Paris David E. Rowe

pp.105-109

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_10
Klein, Mittag-Leffler, and the Klein-Poincaré correspondence of 1881–1882 David E. Rowe

pp.111-133

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_11
Introduction to part III David E. Rowe

pp.137-149

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_12
Hilbert's early career David E. Rowe

pp.151-169

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_13
Klein, Hurwitz, and the "Jewish question" in German academia David E. Rowe

pp.171-182

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_14
On the background to Hilbert's Paris lecture "Mathematical problems" David E. Rowe

pp.183-194

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_15
Poincaré week in Göttingen, 22–28 april 1909 David E. Rowe

pp.195-202

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_16
Introduction to part IV David E. Rowe

pp.205-218

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_17
Hermann Minkowski's Cologne lecture, "Raum und Zeit" David E. Rowe

pp.219-232

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_18
Max von Laue's role in the relativity revolution David E. Rowe

pp.233-241

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_19
Euclidean geometry and physical space David E. Rowe

pp.243-251

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_20
The mathematicians' happy hunting ground

Einstein's general theory of relativity

David E. Rowe

pp.253-261

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_21
Einstein's gravitational field equations and the Bianchi identities David E. Rowe

pp.263-271

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_22
Puzzles and paradoxes and their (sometimes) profounder implications David E. Rowe

pp.273-278

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_23
Debating relativistic cosmology, 1917–1924 David E. Rowe

pp.279-299

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_24
Remembering an era

Roger Penrose's paper on "Gravitational collapse"

David E. Rowe

pp.301-311

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_25
Introduction to part V David E. Rowe

pp.315-330

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_26
Hermann Weyl, the reluctant revolutionary David E. Rowe

pp.331-341

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_27
Transforming tradition

Richard Courant in Göttingen

David E. Rowe

pp.343-355

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_28
Otto Neugebauer and the Göttingen approach to history of the exact sciences David E. Rowe

pp.357-368

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_29
On the myriad mathematical traditions of ancient Greece David E. Rowe

pp.369-374

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_30
The old guard under a new order

K. O. Friedrichs meets Felix Klein

David E. Rowe

pp.375-377

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_31
An enchanted era remembered

interview with Dirk Jan Struik

David E. Rowe

pp.379-391

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_32
Introduction to part VI David E. Rowe

pp.395-405

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_33
Is (was) mathematics an art or a science? David E. Rowe

pp.407-411

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1_34

Publication details

Publisher: Springer

Place: Dordrecht

Year: 2018

Pages: 461

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-67819-1

ISBN (hardback): 978-3-319-67818-4

ISBN (digital): 978-3-319-67819-1

Full citation:

Rowe David E. (2018) A richer picture of mathematics: the Göttingen tradition and beyond. Dordrecht, Springer.