Overview

John von Neumann was perhaps the most influential mathematician of the twentieth century. Not only did he contribute to almost all branches of mathematics, he created new fields and was a pioneering influence in the development of computer science. During and after World War II, he was a much sought-after technical adviser. He served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee at the Ballistic Research Laboratories, the Navy Bureau of Ordinance, and the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project. He was a consultant to the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and was appointed by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the Atomic Energy Commission. He received the Albert Einstein Commemorative Award, the Enrico Fermi Award, and the Medal of Freedom.This collection of about 150 of von Neumann's letters to colleagues, friends, government officials, and others illustrates both his brilliance and his strong sense of responsibility. It is the first substantial collection of his letters, giving a rare inside glimpse of his thinking on mathematics, physics, computer science, science management, education, consulting, politics, and war. With an introductory chapter describing the many aspects of von Neumann's scientific, political, and social activities, this book makes great reading. Readers of quite diverse backgrounds will be fascinated by this first-hand look at one of the towering figures of twentieth century science. To read a review published in the """"Notices of the American Mathematical Society"""", click here. Also of interest and available from the AMS is """"John von Neumann: The Scientific Genius Who Pioneered the Modern Computer, Game Theory, Nuclear Deterrence, and Much More"""" and """"Invariant Measures"""".

Full Product Details

Author:   Miklos Redei
Publisher:   American Mathematical Society
Imprint:   American Mathematical Society
Volume:   No. 27
Weight:   0.751kg
ISBN:  

9780821837764

ISBN 10:   0821837761
Pages:   301
Publication Date:   01 December 2005
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Temporarily unavailable  
The supplier advises that this item is temporarily unavailable. It will be ordered for you and placed on backorder. Once it does come back in stock, we will ship it out to you.

Table of Contents

Introductory comments Letter to N. Aronszajn Letters to F. Aydelotte Letter to E.F. Beckenbach Letter to H. Bethe Letters to G. Birkhoff Letter to W.J.E. Blaschke Letter to R.S. Burington Letters to V. Bush Letter to R. Carnap Letter to W. Cattell Letter to T.M. Cherry Letter to H. Cirker Letter to H. Crocker Letter to M.R. Davie Letter to W.E. Deming Letter to J.L. Destouches Letter to P.A.M. Dirac Letters to J. Dixmier Letter to P.A. Dodd Letter to W.M. DuMond Letter to R.E. Duncan Letter to editor of Evening Star Letter to R. Farquharson Letter to A. Flexner Letter to R.O. Fornaguera Letter to N.H. Goldsmith Letter to W.H. Gottschalk (and Hans Rademacher) Letters to K. Godel Letter to G. Haberler Letters to I. Halperin Letter to G.B. Harrison Letter to M. de Horvath Letter to A.S. Householder Letters to C.C. Hurd Letter to K. Husimi Letters to P. Jordan Letters to I. Kaplansky Letter to C.E. Kemble Letter to J.R. Killian Letters to H.D. Kloosterman Letter to H. Kuhn Letter to J. Lederberg Letter to W.E. Lingelbach Letter to S. MacLane Letter to J.C.C. McKinsey Letter to M.M. Mitchell Letter to T.V. Moore Letter to O. Morgenstern Letters to M. Morse Letter to E. Nagel Letter to J.R. Oppenheimer Letters to R. Ortvay Letter to W. Overbeck Letter to H.H. Rankin Letter to H.P. Robertson Letter to E. Schrodinger Letter to E. Segre Letters to F.B. Silsbee Letter to L. Spitzer Letters to M. Stone Letters to L.L. Strauss Letter to J. Stroux Letter to T. Tannaka Letter to E. Teller Letters to L.B. Tuckerman Letters to S. Ulam Letter to E.R. van Kampen Letters to O. Veblen Letters to N. Wiener Letter to H. Wold Notes on addresses of von Neumann's letters Bibliography.

Reviews

oThis selection of letters by the great mathematician John von Neumann (1903-1957) has been edited with remarkable care and expertise. Nearly all of his letters are published here for the first time. aThe extensive introductory comments by the editor (pp. 1-40) furnish important background information that will prove itself useful, especially for those readers who cannot rely on a thorough knowledge of von NeumannAEs seminal contributions to the foundations of mathematics, mathematical logic, quantum mechanics, quantum logic, computer science, and game theory.o -- Mathematics and Mechanics oathis fine volume of selected letters will be of great interest to mathematicians, scientists, educators, and in particular those interested in the history of the fields to which John von Neumann contributed so much.o -- Historia Mathematica

Author Information

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions