Résumé
Republic of Numbers will appeal to anyone who is interested in learning how mathematics has intertwined with American history.Once upon a time in America, few knew or cared about math. In Republic of Numbers, David Lindsay Roberts tells the story of how all that changed, as America transformed into a powerhouse of mathematical thinkers. Covering more than 200 years of American history, Roberts recounts the life stories of twenty-three Americans integral to the evolution of mathematics in this country. Beginning with self-taught Salem mathematician Nathaniel Bowditch's unexpected breakthroughs in ocean navigation and closing with the astounding work Nobel laureate John Nash did on game theory, this book is meant to be read cover to cover.
Revealing the marvelous ways in which America became mathematically sophisticated, the book introduces readers to Kelly Miller, the first black man to attend Johns Hopkins, who brilliantly melded mathematics and civil rights activism; Izaak Wirszup, a Polish immigrant who survived the Holocaust and proceeded to change the face of American mathematical education; Grace Hopper, the "Machine Whisperer," who pioneered computer programming; and many other relatively unknown but vital figures. As he brings American history and culture to life, Roberts also explains key mathematical concepts, from the method of least squares, propositional logic, quaternions, and the mean-value theorem to differential equations, non-Euclidean geometry, group theory, statistical mechanics, and Fourier analysis. Republic of Numbers will appeal to anyone who is interested in learning how mathematics has intertwined with American history.IntroductionChapter 1. A Practical Navigator: Nathaniel Bowditch, 1806Chapter 2. Hudson River School: Sylvanus Thayer, 1815Chapter 3. Political Arithmetic: Abraham Lincoln, 1826Chapter 4. Textbook Messages: Catherine Beecher and Joseph Ray, 1832Chapter 5. Learning to Count: J. Willard Gibbs, 1841Chapter 6. Naval Reserve: Charles H. Davis, 1857Chapter 7. General Principles: Daniel Harvey Hill, 1862Chapter 8. Fellow Worker: Christine Ladd-Franklin, 1878Chapter 9. Straddler: Kelly Miller, 1887Chapter 10. Frontiersmen: Herman Hollerith and E. H. Moore, 1893Chapter 11. Poetic Historian: E. T. Bell, 1906Chapter 12. Man of School Mathematics: Charles M. Austin, 1914Chapter 13. Organization Man: E. B. Wilson, 1922Chapter 14. Versed in Math: Lillian R. Lieber and Hugh G. Lieber, 1931Chapter 15. Machine Whisperer: Grace Hopper, 1941Chapter 16. Survivor: Izaak Wirszup, 1956Chapter 17. Carrying Old Virginny Forward: Edgar L. Edwards Jr., 1960Chapter 18. Americano: Joaquin Basilio Diaz, 1974Chapter 19. Math Warrior: Frank B. Allen, 1984Chapter 20. Suspicious Minds: John F. Nash Jr., 1994ConclusionAcknowledgmentsSelected BibliographyIndexDavid Lindsay Roberts is an adjunct professor of mathematics at Prince George's Community College. He is the author of American Mathematicians as Educators, 1893-1923: Historical Roots of the "Math Wars."
