Saunders Mac Lane : a mathematical autobiography / Saunders Mac Lane.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mac Lane, Saunders, 1909-2005.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mac Lane, Saunders, 1909-2005.

Mac Lane, Saunders.

Mathematicians--United States--Biography.

Mathematicians.

Physical Description:

xvi, 358 p. : ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Wellesley, Mass. : A K Peters, c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Saunders Mac Lane was an extraordinary mathematician, a dedicated teacher, and a good citizen who cared deeply about the values of science and education. In his autobiography, he gives us a glimpse of his "life and times," mixing the highly personal with professional observations. His recollections bring to life a century of extraordinary accomplishments and tragedies that inspire and educate. Saunders Mac Lane's life covers nearly a century of mathematical developments. During the earlier part of the twentieth century, he participated in the exciting happenings in Göttingen--the Mecca of mathematics. He studied under David Hilbert, Hermann Weyl, and Paul Bernays and witnessed the collapse of a great tradition under the political pressure of a brutal dictatorship. Later, he contributed to the more abstract and general mathematical viewpoints developed in the twentieth century. Perhaps the most outstanding accomplishment during his long and extraordinary career was the development of the concept of categories, together with Samuel Eilenberg, and the creation of a theory that has broad applications in different areas of mathematics, in particular topology and foundations. He was also a keen observer and active participant in the social and political events. As a member and vice president of the National Academy of Science and an advisor to the Administration, he exerted considerable influence on science and education policies in the post-war period. Mac Lane's autobiography takes the reader on a journey through the most important milestones of the mathematical world in the twentieth century."--Provided by publisher.

Contents:

""Contents""; ""Preface""; ""Acknowledgments""; ""Index""

Notes:

Includes index.

OCLC-licensed vendor bibliographic record.

ISBN:

9781040188057

1040188052

9780429064784

0429064780

9781439863640

1439863644

OCLC:

922955575