The Genius of Euler: Reflections on his Life and Work (Spectrum) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0883855585 ISBN 13: 9780883855584

Publisher: The Mathematical Association of America, 2007

Synopsis

Celebrating the 300th birthday of Leonhard Euler (1707–1783), one of the brightest stars in the mathematical firmament, this book stands as a testimonial to a mathematician of unsurpassed insight, industry, and ingenuity. The collected articles, aimed at a mathematically literate audience, address aspects of Euler's life and work, from the biographical to the historical to the mathematical. The oldest of these was written in 1872, and the most recent dates to 2006. Some of the papers focus on Euler and his world, others describe a specific Eulerian achievement, and still others survey a branch of mathematics to which Euler contributed significantly. Among the 34 contributors are some of the most illustrious mathematicians and mathematics historians of the past century, e.g. Florian Cajori, Carl Boyer, George Pólya, Andre Weil, and Paul Erdös. And there are a few poems and a mnemonic just for fun.

About this title

About the Author

William Dunham, who received his BS (1969) from the University of Pittsburgh and his MS (1970) and PhD (1974) from The Ohio State University, is the Truman Koehler Professor of Mathematics at Muhlenberg College. he is the author of four books on mathematics and its history: Journey through Genius: The Great Theorems of Mathematics (Wiley, 1990), The Mathematical Universe (Wiley, 1994), Euler: The Master of Us All (MAA, 1999), and The Calculus Gallery: Masterpieces from Newton to Lebesgue (Princeton University Press, 2005). In addition, he has contributed articles to various publications, and his writing has been recognized by the MAA with its George Pólya Award (1992), Trevor Evans Award (1997), and Lester R. Ford Award (2006).

From the Inside Flap

This book celebrates the 300th birthday of Leonhard Euler (1707 1783), one of the brightest stars in the mathematical firmament. The book stands as a testimonial to a mathematician of unsurpassed insight, industry, and ingenuity one who has been rightly called the master of us all. The collected articles, aimed at a mathematically literate audience, address aspects of Euler s life and work, from the biographical to the historical to the mathematical. The oldest of these was written in 1872, and the most recent dates to 2006. Some of the papers focus on Euler and his world, others describe a specific Eulerian achievement, and still others survey a branch of mathematics to which Euler contributed significantly. Along the way, the reader will encounter the Königsberg bridges, the 36-officers, Euler s constant, and the zeta function. There are papers on Euler s number theory, his calculus of variations, and his polyhedral formula. Of special note are the number and quality of authors represented here. Among the 34 contributors are some of the most illustrious mathematicians and mathematics historians of the past century e.g., Florian Cajori, Carl Boyer, George Pólya, Andre Weil, and Paul Erdös. And there are a few poems and a mnemonic just for fun.

Edition details

• Publisher: The Mathematical Association of America
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0883855585
• ISBN 13: 9780883855584
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 326
• Editor: Dunham William