Dirichlet A Mathematical Biography
This is the first extensive biography of the influential German mathematician, Peter Gustav Lejeune Dirichlet (1805 – 1859). Dirichlet made major contributions to number theory in addition to clarifying concepts such as the representation of functions as se
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Dirichlet A Mathematical Biography
Uta C. Merzbach
Dirichlet A Mathematical Biography
Uta C. Merzbach (Deceased) Georgetown, TX, USA
ISBN 978-3-030-01071-3 ISBN 978-3-030-01073-7 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01073-7
(eBook)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018958343 Mathematics Subject Classification (2010): 01-XX, 31-XX, 30E25, 11-XX © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This book is published under the imprint Birkhäuser, www.birkhauser-science.com by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland
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Preface
Among the questions a potential reader frequently asks about a book, let me single out the following three: Why this subject? What brings the author to the subject? How is the subject presented? Dirichlet was a mathematician who shared responsibility for significant transformations in mathematics during the nineteenth century in Western Europe, a notable period in the history of mathematics. Yet there is no book-length study of his life and work and only a small percentage of his publications tends to be cited. I first saw his name in conjunction with Dedekind’s Eleventh Supplement to Dirichlet’s Lectures on Number Theory. As a graduate student in mathematics, interested in algebra, I was puzzled by what this Supplement might have to do with Dirichlet. Shortly thereafter, while assisting Garrett Birkhoff with the Sourcebook of Classical Analysis, I studied Dirichlet’s own writings on convergence, functions, and potential theory. That did not answer my original question but led me to give a series of talks on Dirichlet in the 1970s, including an invited lecture at a meeting of the American Mathematical Society. This in turn led t
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