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

Description

In the twentieth century, American mathematicians began to make critical advances in a field previously dominated by Europeans. Harvard’s mathematics department was 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, complex analysis, and other esoteric subdisciplines that are rarely written about outside of journal articles or advanced textbooks. The heady mathematical concepts that emerged, and the men and women 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 become the first American to produce original mathematics–an ambition frowned upon in an era when professors largely limited themselves to teaching. Peirce’s successors transformed the math department into a world-class research center, attracting to the faculty such luminaries as George David Birkhoff. Influential figures soon flocked to Harvard, some overcoming great challenges to pursue their elected calling. A History in Sum elucidates the contributions of these extraordinary minds and makes clear why the history of the Harvard mathematics department is an essential part of the history of mathematics in America and beyond.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐A History in Sum brings together a number of stories, each interesting in its own way.There is the history of Harvard itself, and the history of American attitudes towards math. There are the stories of the mathematical concepts–how they made their way across continents and developed through collaboration and competition among the handful of people, scattered around the world, who were born to do this work. But for me the most inspiring part of the book are the stories of the individuals who have made the Harvard math department what it is today. In the face of many different obstacles–from disdain for math in the 17th century to world wars and revolutions in the 20th century–these people were compelled by their own extraordinary intellectual gifts to seek each other out and pursue the problems that intrigued them.

⭐This book is an interesting, fascinating look into how one of the world’s best math departments came to be what it is today. It demonstrates the need for collaboration and cooperation and how having good scientists begets a long tradition of terrific work. Although I rarely read scientific history, I find that this history provides a lot of good lessons on how fundamental scientific research can be done and can be adapted to any academic dept. Its refreshing to be reminded of a time when science was valued unlike the climate today where academia is being destroyed by the American politicians’ unwillingness to fund and support research.

⭐Excellent reference book.

⭐The author has successfully waived history and their mathematical insight together. It is not just about Harvard math department. It also gives a vivid picture of the development of math concepts. Clear and concise.

⭐American mathematics is one of the driving forces behind the world of mathematics,and Harvard mathematics is both a part of the cause and outcome of this.Why is Harvard Harvard? What is so special or important about Harvard mathematics?Though these are obvious, important and interesting questions,a complete answer from the first-hand experience is now given for the first time in this new book“A history in Sum” by Steve Nadis and Shing-Tung Yau.They recount how a lowly mathematics department became one of the world leaders,telling this inspiring story through the lives and works of people who called Harvard home.Unlike a usual history book, this book contains real mathematics.Though the authors avoid equations and mathematics symbols,they do not shy away from real mathematical ideas.They wrote this with the conviction that “good mathematicians (as well as good scientists in general) really need tounderstand their origins.By looking at the contributions of the great men and women from the past, we can trace a path showing howthe important ideas in math evolved. And by looking at that path, we may gain helpful clues regarding avenuesthat are likely to be fruitful in the years ahead.”Clearly, this is a valuable book for mathematicians. But it is also a very interesting bookfor the general reader, since mathematicians are people too, and some Harvard mathematical peoplehad lived uniquely interesting lives.Formathematics students who want to have a glimpse of some major topicsand players in modern mathematics and for mathematicians who want to have an informal, nontechnicaldescriptions of topics outside their specialities, this is also an informativeand accessible book. The authors “aimed for something far broader than merely recounting the most notablesuccess to have emerged from this department”. Indeed, they tried to provide “a guide to a broad swath of modernmathematics, explaining concepts to nonspecialists that even mathematics students are not normally introduced to untilgraduate-level courses. Although lay readers will not be able to master these advanced subjects fromour comparatively brief accounts, they can at least get a flavor of the work and perhaps geta gist of that it’s about.”Reading this book will not only allow you a glimpse of an important section of modern mathematics andlives of the active participants, it will also make you understand why Harvard is Harvard!

⭐This book sets out to explain a fairly broad swath of 20th-century mathematics, which is a challenging task. I’m no mathematician but was pleased to be able to follow most of the discussion and learn quite a bit about terms I had heard of before but had no clue as to what they meant. More importantly, A HISTORY IN SUM is a really entertaining book. The mathematicians portrayed here led truly fascinating lives and their stories are told in gripping fashion. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of mathematics, as well as to people who did not think they were interested in that subject.

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