From Kant to Hilbert :A Source Book in the Foundations of Mathematics, Volume 2

by William Bragg Ewald Jr.

Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason is widely taken to be the starting point of the modern period of mathematics while David Hilbert was the last great mainstream mathematician to pursue importatn nineteenth century ideas. This two-volume work provides an overview of this important era of mathematical research through a carefully chosen selection of articles. They provide an insight into the foundations of each of the main branches of mathematics - algebra, geometry, number theory, analysis, logic, and set theory - with narratives to show how they are linked.

Classic works by Bolzano, Riemann, Hamilton, Dedekind, and Poincare are reproduced in reliable translations and many selections from writers such as Gauss, Cantor, Kronecher, and Zermelo are here translated for the first time. The collection is an invaluable source for anyone wishing to gain an understanding of the foundation of modern mathematics.

Genres: Mathematics, Philosophy, History, Nonfiction

712 pages, Paperback

First published February 24, 2000

Reviews

[Cliff Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

While having the major writings of Dedekind, Cantor, and Zermelo expertly translated and collected into one volume would be enough to make this book well worth the price, as an added bonus there are also great works by Riemann, Hilbert, and others which serve to paint an awesome picture of the revolutionary state of mathematics in the late 19th and early 20th century. Anyone into set theory will learn much about its origins and early evolution in these pages, particularly from the correspondence between Dedekind and Cantor as well as from Cantor's groundbreaking and controversial "Grundlagen." All in all an unparalleled collection for anyone with an interest in the philosophy and foundations of the science of number.