Otto Blumenthal: Selected letters and writings I. 1897--1918 (Q1753193)

The book is devoted to the early years of Otto Blumenthal seen by his letters and papers from the period 1897--1918. It consists of two parts. Part I is an essay in a form of an extensive biography of Blumenthal -- it covers the period 1876--1918. Special emphasis is put on his activity as an editor of the journal \textit{Mathematische Annalen}. Part II consists of six chapters in which selected letters from the period 1897--1918 are presented. The letters are ordered both according to the subject as well as chronologically. In the letters from the three first chapters, biographical aspects dominate whereas the last two chapters contain letters connected with Blumenthal's activity as an editor of \textit{Mathematische Annalen}. One of the chapters contains an obituary of Blumenthal's best friend Karl Schwarzschild. All letters are given together with small introductory remarks explaining the context in which they have been written. There is also an appendix in which one finds among others Blumenthal's personal remembrances from the years as a student and \textit{Privatdozent}. The planned second volume will provide documents from the period 1919--1941. The book has been published in a nice and accurate way. This two-volume book is an important contribution to the history of mathematics in the first half of 20th century.