MATH 703: Topics in the History of Mathematics (Spring 2004)

Instructor: Anil Nerode

Meeting Time & Room

We study the evolution of mathematical ideas in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through analysis of seminal papers of great mathematicians. The exact choice of papers and subjects depends on the audience. In algebra it might be the evolution of algebra through the works of Lagrange, Gauss, Galois, Cauchy, Kronecker, Dedekind,Hensel, Hilbert, Steinitz, and Artin. In analysis it might be the development of n dimensional analysis and functional analysis through the works of Lagrange, Cauchy, Dirichlet, Jacobi, Riemann, Weierstrass, Peano, Volterra, Hilbert, Banach. Learning how great mathematicians discovered their work and what they had in mind is a very useful skill for all mathematicians, and often demonstrates the unity of the many branches of mathematics.

Last modified: October 23, 2003