A History in Sum: 150 Years of Mathematics at Harvard (1825–1975)

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Description

In the twentieth century, American mathematicians began to make critical advances in a field up to now dominated by Europeans. Harvard’s mathematics department was once at the center of these developments. A History in Sum is an inviting account of the pioneers who trailblazed a distinctly American tradition of mathematics–in algebraic geometry and topology, complex analysis, number theory, and a host of esoteric subdisciplines that have rarely been written about outdoor of journal articles or advanced textbooks. The heady mathematical concepts that emerged, and the women and men who shaped them, are described here in lively, accessible prose.

The story begins in 1825, when a precocious sixteen-year-old freshman, Benjamin Peirce, arrived at the College. He would transform the first American to produce original mathematics–an ambition frowned upon in an era when professors largely limited themselves to teaching. Peirce’s successors–William Fogg Osgood and Maxime Bôcher–undertook the task of transforming the math department into a world-class research center, attracting to the faculty such luminaries as George David Birkhoff. Birkhoff produced a dazzling body of work, whilst training a generation of innovators–students like Marston Morse and Hassler Whitney, who forged novel pathways in topology and other areas. Influential figures from all over the world soon flocked to Harvard, some overcoming great challenges to pursue their elected calling.

A History in Sum elucidates the contributions of these abnormal minds and makes clear why the history of the Harvard mathematics department is an essential a part of the history of mathematics in The united states and beyond.

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