EUGENE GARFIELD” lvSTITU TEFC)HSClk NTIF ICI NF(IUMATION 3501 MA HKETST PHILADELPHIA PA 19104 ‘l%e Mmt-Chl Physkd+eiences Publications in the 1945-1954 Science Cifaiim Index. Part 2. Twenty Citation Ckssics in Matlmnatics Number 42 October 15, 1990 When I fust reported to Current Gmterrts@ “impact.” That is, citations simply indicate readers that ISI@had compiled the Science that the cited work has been used in some Cifatkm hdexm (SCF’ ) cumulation for way by the author referring to it. It would 1945-1954, I indicated that it would serve be simplistic, if not absurd, to argue that the well the growing community of science importance of research can be measured historians. 1 Indeed, the cumulation has solely on the basis of citation frequencies enabled us for the first time to identi@ the and ranks thereof. most-cited publications in the postwar Brush attempts to answer this question by decade, a crucial time of rapid growth and comparing the lists of most-cited articles development in science and technology. with subjectivejudgments, such as the award Last year Bernard Dixon, contributing of prestigious prizes, or the opinions of editor to Biotechnology and former editor historians of science. As he noted in the first of New Scientist, discussed the 102 life- part of his essay, 48 percent of the most- sciences papers that were highly cited dur- cited physics publications included an author ing this petiod.2.3 More recently, the 52 who had won the Nobel Prize. For the high most-cited physical-sciences publications in impact chemistry publications, this figure the 1945-1954 SCI were examined by was 40 percent.’4However, he alsQobserves Stephen G. Brush, Department of History that these were not necessarily the works for and Institute for Physical Science and Tech- which the authors were honored by the nology, University of Maryland, College prize, a point I have stated previously.s Park.q Since virtually all of these Citation For the 20 most-cited mathematics articles Classicsm were in chemistry and physics, presented here, Brush uses the Fields Medal he requested additional lists of high impact as an independent measure of’ ‘influence. ” works in mathematics, astronomy, and the The Fields Medal is awarded qmdrermially earth sciences. In the essay that follows, by the International Congress of Mathemati- Brush continues his discussion by examining cians and is widely regarded as equivalent the 20 most-cited mathematics papas. Next in prestige to the Nobel Prizes. Brush found week, he will conclude with a look at 42 that no Fields Medal winners were among Cifation Cfassics in astronomy and the the authors of these 20 high impact mathe- earth sciences. matics articles. On this basis, he concludes Brush raises a question that often comes that “the most-cited publications in mathe- up whenever we publish undifferentiated matics do not contain the most important lists of papers ranked by citations: Are these research, ” and that “the most important most-cited articles the most “influential”? research in mathematics, as judged by We have consistently and repeatedly stated awards of the Fields Medal, is not highly that citations alone do not necessarily in- cited. ” dicate importance, quality, or influence. We This conclusion is perhaps premature instead prefer to use the more neutral term since it is based on a rather small sample 376 Tabk 1: Tbe top 100 mathematics mcm$cited la 1978 and 1979. Asterisks (*) indicae Fields Medsl winners. A=cifations from themab axe jcw-nsls in 1978 and 1979. B-fold cimtiom fmm SCF jcwds in 1978 and 1979. AB AB AB I 64 202 Adams. John Frank 103 6.50 Coumnt, Rkbotd 284 461 Hardy, Godfrey Harold [ )njvers(fy o[ Manchester New York Umvcrsa!y IJnwersify of Cambridge Manchester. UK New York, NY Cambridge, UK 164 265 Agmon, Sbmucd 128 159 Curlfs, Cbmfes Wbltffesey Ihl 217 Hmfsh-CJmndm Hebrew L:n,verstty llmverstry of Oregon Jns:i!ute for Advanced Study Jerusalem, Israel Eugene, OR Princeton, NJ Ii” 1-1 . Abffc.rs. Lam Valerfcm 145 l~o “Delfgae. Pleme 138 235 Harfraam,PFOIF Harvard University lmfltut des Hautcs Eludes Johns Hopkins University C’ambndgc, MA Scmntifiques BaJllmorc, MD 108 127 Allsen, %& Mag.nu! B“res-wr-Yvette France 141 lt12 Huuhorne, Robsrt Cope [Intverwly of 0s10 148 263 Dfeudomne. lean Akxandre [Iniversify of CafiicmnM Oslo, Norwa} Umvermy of N,cc Berkeley, CA 140 157 Anfn, Mkhae! Nice, France Hasse, Helmut Masw.chuscus Insu!ute of 346 435 Dkmkr. Jacques tlmvcrswy of Hamburg Technology (ln,vcrs,ly of PBrls VI Hamburg, FRG Cambridge, MA Pans, France He fgason. Sfgurdur IMI !Ml Aschbeder, Michael Ill 1.3- Dougfns. Ronald Georqe Mr.ssacbuselis Insmute of Califomla lnsmute 0! Stale llm,. mslw of Technology Technology New York Cambridge, MA Pasadena, CA Smny Brook NY Hemtefu, ftmef N. 252 444 “ Affyah, Mkbsel Fmncfa -Q4 5,4 Dunford, Nefsoa L!”,ver,,ty 01 Chicago Oxford Unwerslty Yale (In,. crslty Cbtcago, [L Oxford UK New Haven. CT Hewitt. Edwfn 12h 136 Am fander, hfmwfce 101 824 Erdelyf, Arthur [Imvcrwty of Wmhmgton Brande)s University [Inwerstty of Edmhurgh %altfe. WA Wrdthmm. MA Edinburgh, L;K Hffle, Efnar 222 2s5 Bass, J-Lyman 295 485 Erdo$. Pauf [ Ini.erslly of Calif orma Columbia Um, erstty Hunganan Academy of La Jolla, CA New York NY Sciences Hfkon. Pefer John 110 “In JJellmsn, Rkbrd EmesI Budapes[ Hungary Case Western Reserve [:nwcrwy of Scwtbern 119 125 Fek, Waker tlmverwy Califom,a Yak Umvcrst[) Cleveland, OH Los Angeles, CA New Ha\en CT Jifrzeb?uch. Frkdrfcb 1.31 333 Berg,, Claude Jacques [61 3Ml Frkdman. Avaer 1lntverwy of Bon” CNRS Norihwes(mn [:n,, ers,ty Bonn, FRG Pans, France E.ansto” IL 334 4’4I r,..“Ormlumer..——-,– L.”.—. 129 338 Bkkholf, Gwrett l“- 22(I Fuchs. Lnszlo Vofter Harvard Unrwrsily Tufanc [Jntversn[v [rnwersify of Lund Cambridge. MA New Orleans LA Lund, Sweden 29” 38” Borel. Armmd 20- “4H Geff.nd, fzraff l-n lfw Hupperf, Be?mam Jnsl]lule for Advanced Mofseevkb IImverswy of Mainz Study Mathe”a!tcs fnmtute Mamz, FRG llf SR Academy of Sc,mces Pn”cemn, NJ Ill 123 JWMW1,Kemkfcbf 51” ’23 Bourbaki, Nkofm Moscow, USSR Princeton (Ire>, France 109 112 Gfauherman. George faanc Pri”cc ton, NJ 13- lh” Brmwr, Rkfmrd Dagoberf ~lnwers,ty of Chjcago 26 I 343 Jacobso=, Natbae Harvard llmversity Chicago, [L Yale University Cambndgc. MA 103 2W Go~h6erg. fsrael New Haven, CT 115 120 Bredon, Gf.m E. TSudfkovkb 225 285 KsPkmky, Irvfmg Rutgers University Tel A,i. Umvcrmty University of Chicago New Bmmwick, NJ Tel Avi,. Israel Chicago, IL 1“3 .342 Brezfs, HaJm 293 321 Gormutefn, Dankl 131 638 Karffn, %nue~ [Inwerslfy of Pans VI Rutgers [ Iniverslty Stanford University Paris, France New Bmmswick, NJ Stanford, CA 190 250 Browder, Feffx s8rf 126 lJI Gmuerf, ffrnm .343 646 Kate. Toste [Jnwerwty of Chicago onwerslty of Gomngen LJniversify of California Cbtcago, JL Gottingen, FRG Berkeley, CA 101 140 Calderon, Afbwto Pedro 4W WI ‘Grothendkck, Akxandre 144 201 KobayashL S&m.&Ld [ I“)versify of Chicago Universmy of Mompcffier 11 Unwersity of California Chmago, IL Mcmtpellier, France Berkeley, CA l-w 20- CmflIz, Leonard I06 W J4afe, Jack KenneIh 131 2f13 Kraanosdsfiff,Mark Duke LJniverstcy Brown University Afeksamdrovfcb Durham, NC Prowcfencc, RI Moscow Control Problems 167 236 Catfr.n, Hemf Paul 147 199 Haff, Mmsfufl Institute Univm-sify of Parts x] California Ins fitute of Moscow, USSR Paris, France Techdogy 136 212 Karstawnkf, Kazfmlem 131 1“8 Cfffford. Al[red Pasadcoa, CA Warcaw University Hoblftzeffe 20’ 492 Hafraos, Patd kiCfUd Warsaw,Poland Tukne University Jndiana LJniversily )24 285 Ladyzbenskak, Ofgs New Orleans, LA Blmmingmn, IN Afekssmtrovm 112 14” Cohn,Paul Morkl 101 48.3 H.wmy. Frunk Leningrad Umversity University of Lcmdo” [Inaversity of Michigan Leningrad, USSR London, LJK Ann Arbor, Ml 377 Spanler, Edwla Hemry [!m~crs, ty of Cal!fomm Berkck) CA 108 4(!4 La,, Peter Dsvfd 13- I +1 . QufJleLI, Dankl G 2<3 394 Stefn, Elks M. ?+CWYork \jm\m,l) Massachusetts Inw,tuw of ?nnccton tlnwersny YW York. NY Technology Prmce!on, NJ I $() Ih- Llmdens[r.ms, lomm Cambridge MA I(M 112 Swan, Rkhard Gordoz Hebrew [’n, \ers,ty 1(N 1“0 Rockakkfar. Ralmb,. Tvrreff [>”i.ers, fy of Chtcago Jerusakm. Israel I ntvcrsth of W’ashmgton Chtcago IL 2 ! () 5$? LIOIU, Jacques. Louh Seattle WA I 1“ 339 Titchmarsb, Edward Charles College de France 224 .349 RIMJJII,Walter Oxford L!nlbers)tv Pans. France ,l”,,=M,,Y *, W,,c<,n,tn Oxford [’K I 12 IW LoreII[z. George G. %dmon W] [(14 IW Tutae, WUJJXUIThomas l’”,, em, t> of Te, a, !10 I.M %kal. ShokbJro Cnt+erstty of Waterloo Aus!m T-x N:hon [Intbcrmy WawrIoo [?nada 13“ 249 M,ckcy. George Tokyo Japan 145 IN w ●fJ. ChmLes TererIc* Wbltefaw 111 li.1 S810, MLk10 CkB Har, ard (ln,~crs!ty Kyoto (In]\ crstitv Uni. crwt) of Lt, erpool Cambridge MA K,,)!,,. JaPa” LI\crp<mt. 1’K 125 184 MacJAae, .%.ndem 1.13 l-? Sckuefer, Helmut H. Ih“ ?48 Weff. Amfre I ‘n,, m,,ty of Ch,cagc [’nl\cr$,Q of T.hmgen lm!!!. w k,r Ad, anccd >mdy Ch,caec). IL Tuhmgen FRG Pmc, !rm NJ 10< 133 My, 1. ?.,., l?< .ll~ ‘Schwmrw Lm),em I 10 ‘M- W tyl, Hmmmm l,n~)erst!> of Ch,cago Fcok Polvtcchmq.c 1.s1,1.1. for Ad. anccd 51udy Ch,cago IL Plaweau France Prmccton, NJ 41i ~42 ‘MLfnor, John WffL8rd WI) 46.1 .Serrc, Iemrf%rre 1.11 190 Whfmey. Hasslcr lnsttrutc I,,r Ad, anccd $1.dy College de France Instttutc for Ad\anccd \tudy f+mcelon, NJ Pans.