The mathematical France of the 3rd Republic before the Great War
type: Item
instance of: scholarly article
zbMATH Open document ID: 1334.01005
author: Hélène Gispert
publication date: 2016-03-02T00:00:00Z
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01-02
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A80
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A55
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A60
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 01A74
zbMATH DE Number: 6548239
zbMATH Keywords: Société Mathématique de France
MaRDI profile type: Publication
title: The mathematical France of the 3rd Republic before the Great War
published in: La Série T
review text: This is the second edition of [Zbl 0728.01029)] from 1991 with a slightly changed title, some omissions and some additions. The new edition seems more appropriate, the main omissions consist in five articles written by different authors on specific topics, and the main additions include a vast preface of the author to the new edition, a general bibliography, and three indexes. The main part of the book remained unchanged. Although the new edition is thinner, it has retained its great informative value, the additions making the book more useful and the reading easier. NEWLINENEWLINEThe subject of the book is French mathematics between 1870 and 1914 and the main tool to its study remains the Société Mathématique de France (below SMF) founded in 1872, the main area of interest being characteristic features of mathematical activity: research, education, diffusion of ideas. NEWLINENEWLINEChapter 1 presents the SMF with its new formula (professional and not elitist but open to all people interested), its ambitions, its early structure and later changes, and its eventual success. The SMF has become an important vehicle in raising French mathematics, after a period of stagnation, up to its first-class position. NEWLINENEWLINEIn Chapter 2, the author offers an analysis of the mathematical production of the members of the SMF, both quantitative and qualitative.NEWLINENEWLINEIn Chapter 3, she analyses stimuli coming from radical institutional changes in the considered period, consisting in proliferation, an increase in the number of students of science, stress upon research etc., and their influence on the SMF. NEWLINENEWLINEChapter 4 deals with the evolution of the mathematical production in 1880--1900; after some general remarks it concentrates on granted doctorates and the contributions of members of the SMF. The author notes here an interesting series of theses devoted to the presentation of some great achievements from abroad (Fuchs, Riemann, Kronecker, Weierstrass, Lie) …
reviewed by: Roman Duda
description: scientific article; zbMATH DE number 6548239