Felix Klein, David Hilbert, and the Goettingen mathematical tradition. (Volumes I and II).
Item
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Title
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Felix Klein, David Hilbert, and the Goettingen mathematical tradition. (Volumes I and II).
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Identifier
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AAI9224851
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identifier
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9224851
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Creator
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Rowe, David E.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Joseph W. Dauben
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Date
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1992
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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History of Science | Mathematics
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Abstract
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Felix Klein (1849-1925) and David Hilbert (1962-1943), two of the most influential figures in modern mathematics, made Gottingen the preeminent mathematical center in the world. The present three-part study begins with an analysis of Klein's mathematical research, focusing on his formative development as a mathematician, the background to his seminal "Erlanger Programm" of 1872, the role of "Anschauung" in his work on Riemann surfaces, and his principal achievements in function theory during the period of his mathematical maturity (1876-1882). Part II is concerned with the period from 1882 to 1895 when Klein shifted his primary focus away from research to teaching. It documents the "Kleinian connection" in American mathematics and his profound influence on the nascent research community that emerged in the United States. The experiences of the men and women who studied with him are described in detail, as is the culminating event of this period: Klein's participation at the 1893 Chicago Mathematical Congress and his Evanston Colloquium lectures. Part III takes up Hilbert's early career, his partnership with Klein, and his early work on foundations, beginning with the Grundlagen der Geometrie of 1899 and the famous Paris lecture, "Mathematische Probleme." Hilbert's presence in Gottingen after 1895 enabled Klein to step down from his role as "master teacher" and take up a wide range of institutional concerns. Despite marked differences as mathematicians, Hilbert and Klein shared a firm belief in mathematics as an integral part of human culture, a commitment that formed the basis of their powerful alliance in Gottingen. A major goal of the present study is to place their Weltanschauungen in a broader historical context and to suggest how these ideas shaped the modern Gottingen mathematical tradition.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
