Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics
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BULLETIN CSHPMlSCHPM November/novembre 2000 Number/Ie numero 27 WHAT'S INSIDE President's Message [G. Van Brummelen] ........................................................................................ page 4 Articles The GodeI-Zermelo Letters [G. Moore] ............................................................................................. page 6 History of mathematics it Ia fran~aise [T. Archibald] ........................................................................ page 10 The Moscow Mathematical Society [Po Buckingham] ...................................................................... page 12 Web Review: www.maths.tcd.ie/publHistMath [R.Bradley] ............................................................ page 15 The Princeton Mathematics Community [R. Jantzen]. ...................................................................... page 16 Reports AMS Western Section ....................................................................................................................... page 2 Executive Council Minutes ................................................................................................................. page 3 Call for Papers: AMS Spring Sectional Meeting................................................................................ page 5 Minutes of the Annual General Meeting .................................................................................... page 9 Canadian Society for History and Philosophy of Mathematics Societe canadienne d'histoire et de philosophie des mathematiques ISSN 0835-5924 ABOUT THE SOCIETY History of Mathematics at AMS Western Section Founded in 1974, the Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Mathematics/ Societe A special session on history of mathematics was canadienne d'histoire et de philosophie des held at the American Mathematical Society mathematiques (CSHPM/SCHPM) promotes Western Section Meeting at San Francisco State research and teaching in the history and University October 21-22, 2000. The session was philosophy of mathematics. Officers of the organized by Shawnee McMurran, Cal State San Society are: Bernardino, and Jim Tattersall, Providence President: Glen Van Brummelen, Bennington College. College, Bennington, VT 05201,USA, <[email protected]> Following is a list of speakers and their topics: Vice-President: Len Berggren, Math. Dept., Jennifer Beineke, "The Functional Equation of the Simon Fraser Univ., Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Riemann Zeta Function"; Rob Bradley, "Symbolic Algebra as a Foundation for Calculus: Canada, <[email protected]> D. Gregory's Contribution"; John Heilbron, Secretary: Pat Allaire, Dept. of Math. & C.S., "Geometry Civilized and Churches Queensborough C. c., Bayside, NY 11364, USA, Astronomized"; Barnabus Hughes, "Arabic <[email protected]> Algebra Before (?) AI-Khwarizmi"; Patti Hunter, Treasurer: Robert Thomas, Dept. of Math., "Statistics in the U.S. Comes of Age: A Case University ofManitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Study in American Influence Abroad"; Anatoly Canada <thomas@,cc.umanitoba. ca> Korchagain, "Quadratic, Cubic, and Quartic Members of Council: Cones"; Laura Martini, "Mathematics and Politics: Shaping the Mathematical Landscape in Rebecca Adams, Mathematics Department, Post-Unification Italy"; Betty Mayfield, Vanguard Univ., 55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA "Gerbert: A Guy in the Right Place at the Right 92626, USA, <radamsca@,yahoo.com> Time"; Shawnee McMurran, "Solving Victorian Roger Godard, 92 Florence St. Kingston, ON Math Problems: A Senior Project"; Kristin K7M 1Y6, Canada, <[email protected]> Moore, "The Collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Hardy Grant, 539 Highland Ave., Ottawa, ON Bridge"; Karen Parshall, "Nineteenth-century K2A 2J8, Canada, <[email protected]> Developments in Geometric Probability: J.J. Alexander Jones, Department of Classics, Sylvester, M. Crofton, J.-E. Barbier, and J. University of Toronto, 97 St. George Street, Bertrand"; Adrian Rice, !lG.H. Hardy, the London Toronto, ON M5S 2E8, Canada Mathematical Society, and the Rise of Pure <ajones@,chass.utoronto.ca> Mathematical Research in the First Half of the Twentieth Century"; Amy Shell, "Mina Rees and The Society's Web page, is maintained by Robert Her Influence on Mathematical Research"; Jim Bradley, Adelphi Univ. Garden City, NY 11530, Tattersall, "The Josephus Problem Revisited". USA <www.Adelphi.eduicshpm> or <www.cshpm.org>. On Saturday many of the participants met for lunch at the Cliff House, which affords an The Proceedings of the Annual Meeting is edited exquisite view of the Pacific Ocean. They also by Michael Kinyon, Dept of Math. & C.S., celebrated Amy Shell's birthday two days early. Indiana University South Bend, South Bend, IN 46634 <[email protected]> Jim Tattersall, Department ofMathematics , Providence College, Providence, RI 02918, New members are most cordially welcome; please contact the Secretary. 2 Minutes OF THE CSHPMlCHSPM Polytechnic University on May 25-27, 2002 Executive Council Meeting (Saturday-Monday). Jim will talk with Craig June 11,2000 Hamilton, Ontario Fraser about getting a list of past officers of the Society, which should appear in a future The minutes of the previous Executive Council CSHP M Bulletin. meeting (July 1999) were approved. Bulletin Editor's Report: Sharon Kunoff and Tom Drucker will offer a call for contributions, Annual General Meeting Agenda: and will arrange for new members' names to appear in upcoming Bulletins. 1. Treasurer's Report: Robert Thomas will Webmaster's Report: Rob Bradley was asked to report on the following items: 189 members are obtain the domain name www.cshpm.org for the paid for the year 2000 at this time. He will raise Society's use. the issue of whether it is worth the effort for the Proceedings Editor's Report: Jim Tattersall will CSHPM to apply for charitable status. The announ.ce that 231 copies of the 1999 SSHRC travel subsidies continue to support us. Proceedings have been mailed, and that HSSFC dues for 4/1/99-9/30/99 are $461. After Providence College has graciously covered the doubling the dues (from $5 to $10) for cross mailing costs. It was suggested that future membership between the CSHPS and CSHPM, overseas mailings be sent by surface mail. most ofthe CSHPS members who had taken out Nominating Committee's Report: Craig Fraser reciprocal memberships in the CSHPM failed to will be collecting ballots until tomorrow. renew. Treasurer's Report - Actions Taken: Robert Other Business: will check with Craig Fraser concerning the origin and possible restrictions ofthe K. O. May 1. It was agreed that members who were paid fund, currently dormant and worth about $2000; for the year 2000, and new members in the year he will also look into the situation with regard to 2001, should receive the Proceedings (iterate a possible dues increase. The division oflabour for following years). between Secretary and Treasurer was decided as 2. We discussed, but decided against, pursuing follows: the Secretary will take over the the possibility of establishing a SIGMAA in the membership duties, collect the dues, and keep history of mathematics. the US dollars in an American bank account. 3. The Secretary will send out the first dues The Treasurer will be sent Canadian monies and notice in October. deposit them into a Canadian account. The 4. We propose the following change to the Treasurer will keep the books. Constitution, to be formally moved in the Secretary's Report: Glen Van Brummelen will November Bulletin and voted upon at the next describe the e-mail balloting system introduced AGM in 2001: this year, and report on the production of a French-language CSHPM brochure. Article IV, Section 2: "The Executive Council President's Report: Jim Tattersall will note the shall consist of the Officers of the Society, the following: We will meet with the Leameds at immediate past President, the Editor(s) of the the University of Laval from May 25-27,2001 Proceedings, the Bulletin Editor(s), [the (Friday-Sunday). Amy Ackerberg-Hastings and Webmaster,] and four other members ofthe Society." Adrian Rice will organize the general session; Jim Tattersall will locate a chair for the special The meeting was adjourned. session, which will be on French mathematics. We will meet with the Leameds at UTlRyerson Glen Van Brummelen (former Secretary) 3 President's Message over the next year than administrative meetings. It's hard to imagine how one could be more Dirk Jan Struik (1894-2000) blessed! As a child, I first became aware of the history of No less than seven meetings and sessions on the mathematics through my father. A high school history and philosophy of mathematics, and mathematics teacher, he had shelves of amazingly several other events, are scheduled in North varied books, to spur interest in his students. One America over the next year. Of particular of them, a thin volume entitled A Concise History excitement is the regularity with which they are of Mathematics, caught my attention early, and I beginning to appear as part of national and often paged through it. Many of us were regional mathematics conferences. The profile of introduced to the history of mathematics through history is rising among our mathematical this book; in fact, it has been said that Struik's text colleagues. This year is an opportunity for us to has increased popular exposure to our field more put our best foot forward: to demonstrate the than any other book. importance and intellectual value of our subject to the mathematics community, in both pedagogical Superlative words hardly