Volume: 27; 2005; 301 pp; Softcover
MSC: Primary 00; 01;
Print ISBN: 978-1-4704-6863-7
Product Code: HMATH/27.S
List Price: $74.00
AMS Member Price: $59.20
MAA Member Price: $66.60
Electronic ISBN: 978-1-4704-3895-1
Product Code: HMATH/27.E
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Supplemental Materials
John von Neumann: Selected Letters
Share this pageEdited by Miklós Rédei
A co-publication of the AMS and the London Mathematical Society
John von Neumann was perhaps the most influential
mathematician of the twentieth century. Not only did he contribute to
almost all branches of mathematics, he created new fields and was a
pioneering influence in the development of computer science.
During and after World War II, he was a much sought-after technical
advisor. He served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee at
the Ballistic Research Laboratories, the Navy Bureau of Ordinance, and
the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project. He was a consultant to the
Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and was appointed by U.S. President
Dwight D. Eisenhower to the Atomic Energy Commission. He received the
Albert Einstein Commemorative Award, the Enrico Fermi Award, and the
Medal of Freedom.
This collection of about 150 of von Neumann's letters to
colleagues, friends, government officials, and others illustrates both
his brilliance and his strong sense of responsibility. It is the first
substantial collection of his letters, giving a rare inside glimpse of
his thinking on mathematics, physics, computer science, science
management, education, consulting, politics, and war. With an
introductory chapter describing the many aspects of von Neumann's
scientific, political, and social activities, this book makes great
reading. Readers of quite diverse backgrounds will be fascinated by
this first-hand look at one of the towering figures of twentieth
century science.
To read a review published in the
Also of interest and available from the AMS is John von Neumann: The
Scientific Genius Who Pioneered the Modern Computer, Game Theory,
Nuclear Deterrence, and Much More and Invariant Measures.
Readership
General audience; readers of diverse backgrounds.
Reviews & Endorsements
This selection of letters by the great mathematician John von Neumann (1903-1957) has been edited with remarkable care and expertise. Nearly all of his letters are published here for the first time. ....The extensive introductory comments by the editor (pp. 1-40) furnish important background information that will prove itself useful, especially for those readers who cannot rely on a thorough knowledge of von Neumann's seminal contributions to the foundations of mathematics, mathematical logic, quantum mechanics, quantum logic, computer science, and game theory.
-- Mathematics and Mechanics
...this fine volume of selected letters will be of great interest to mathematicians, scientists, educators, and, in particular, those interested in the history of the fields to which John von Neumann contributed so much.
-- Historia Mathematica
...this will be an enduring reference book ...delivers an impressive sampling of the breadth and influence of von Neumann's work.
-- Notices of the American Mathematical Society
I recommend that you check out a copy of the book yourself. These letters are put together in a very nice volume, and give quite a bit of insight into one of the great mathematical minds of all time ...
-- MAA Reviews
...the volume under review will certainly contribute to our knowledge about John von Neumann and his personality. It will be interesting for historians of science, especially of mathematics and mathematical physics.
-- Zentrablatt MATH
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
John von Neumann: Selected Letters
- Cover Cover11
- Title page iii4
- Contents v6
- Preface ix10
- Foreword by P. Lax xiii14
- Introduction by Marina von Neumann Whitman xv16
- Photographs xix20
- List of specific permissions xxv26
- Introductory comments 128
- Letter to N. Aronszajn 4168
- Letters to F. Aydelotte 4370
- Letter to E.F. Beckenbach 4673
- Letter to H. Bethe 4875
- Letters to G. Birkhoff 4976
- Letter to W.J.E. Blaschke 7097
- Letter to R.S. Burington 7198
- Letters to V. Bush 76103
- Letter to R. Carnap 85112
- Letter to W. Cattell 87114
- Letter to T.M. Cherry 89116
- Letter to H. Cirker 91118
- Letter to H. Crocker 93120
- Letter to M.R. Davie 94121
- Letter to W.E. Deming 95122
- Letter to J.L. Destouches 97124
- Letter to P.A.M. Dirac 99126
- Letters to J. Dixmier 103130
- Letter to P.A. Dodd 107134
- Letter to W.M. DuMond 109136
- Letter to R.E. Duncan 111138
- Letter to editor of Evening Star 113140
- Letter to R. Farquharson 115142
- Letter to A. Flexner 116143
- Letter to R.O. Fornaguera 118145
- Letter to N.H. Goldsmith 120147
- Letter to W.H. Gottschalk (and Hans Rademacher) 121148
- Letters to K. Gödel 123150
- Letter to G. Haberler 128155
- Letters to I. Halperin 129156
- Letter to G.B. Harrison 138165
- Letter to M. de Horvath 140167
- Letter to A.S. Householder 141168
- Letters to C.C. Hurd 144171
- Letter to K. Husimi 148175
- Letters to P. Jordan 150177
- Letters to I. Kaplansky 154181
- Letter to C.E. Kemble 158185
- Letter to J.R. Killian 165192
- Letters to H.D. Kloosterman 167194
- Letter to H. Kuhn 170197
- Letter to J. Lederberg 171198
- Letter to W.E. Lingelbach 174201
- Letter to S. MacLane 175202
- Letter to J.C.C. McKinsey 178205
- Letter to M.M. Mitchell 181208
- Letter to T.V. Moore 183210
- Letter to O. Morgenstern 186213
- Letters to M. Morse 187214
- Letter to E. Nagel 189216
- Letter to J.R. Oppenheimer 191218
- Letters to R. Ortvay 193220
- Letter to W. Overbeck 205232
- Letter to H.H. Rankin 207234
- Letter to H.P. Robertson 208235
- Letter to E. Schrödinger 211238
- Letter to E. Segre 214241
- Letters to F.B. Silsbee 216243
- Letter to L. Spitzer 222249
- Letters to M. Stone 223250
- Letters to L.L. Strauss 234261
- Letter to J. Stroux 241268
- Letter to T. Tannaka 242269
- Letter to E. Teller 244271
- Letters to L.B. Tuckerman 246273
- Letters to S. Ulam 249276
- Letter to E.R. van Kampen 260287
- Letters to O. Veblen 262289
- Letters to N. Wiener 277304
- Letter to H. Wold 283310
- Notes on addresses of von Neumann’s letters 285312
- Bibliography 297324
- Back Cover Back Cover1329