Related papers: Problems with Popper
This is a short overview of the origins of distribution theory as well as the life of Sergei Sobolev (1908--1989) and his contribution to the formation of the modern outlook of mathematics.
Irving John ("Jack") Good (9 December 1916 - 5 April 2009) was one of my greatest heroes and influencers. On Oct. 25, 2009, I gave a twenty-three minute talk with the present title, and this article is an extended transcript of that talk.…
The purpose of this project is to outline various philosophies on the metaphysics of mathematics that have been prominent since the time of Cantor, highlighting some biographical aspects that have influenced these ideas as well. The main…
This text tries to give an elementary introduction to the mathematical properties of infinite sets. The aim is to keep the approach as simple as possible. Advanced knowledge of mathematics is not necessary for a proper understanding, and…
The mathematical achievements of Harry Kesten since the mid-1950s have revolutionized probability theory as a subject in its own right and in its associations with aspects of algebra, analysis, geometry, and statistical physics. Through his…
This paper attributes the sudden emergence of mathematical probability and statistics in the second half of the seventeenth century to Calvin's Reformed theology. Calvin accommodated Epicurean chance with Stoic determinism and synthesised…
Robert F. Coleman, a highly original mathematician who has had a profound influence on modern number theory and arithmetic geometry, passed away on March 24, 2014. We give an overview of his life and career, including some of his major…
Sim\'eon-Denis Poisson was 25 years old when he was appointed Professor of Mathematics at the \'Ecole Polytechnique in 1806. Elected to the Paris Acad\'emie des Sciences six years later, he soon became one of its most influential members.…
Quite a long time ago several authors (see,e.g., \cite{Der}, \cite{Pe} ) mentioned that among pioneers of the quark idea we should take into consideration one more (in addition to M. Gell-Mann and G. Zweig) author, Andr\'{e} Petermann (1922…
Early 17th-century mathematical publications of Johann Faulhaber contain some remarkable theorems, such as the fact that the $r$-fold summation of $1^m,2^m,...,n^m$ is a polynomial in $n(n+r)$ when $m$ is a positive odd number. The present…
In 1760, Leonhard Euler began to write beautiful Letters to a German Princess on Diverse Subjects of Physics and Philosophy. Much has been written about Euler and his work, but we wonder, who was the princess? How did she become involved…
Detlef D\"urr (1951-2021) was a theoretical and mathematical physicist who worked particularly on the foundations of quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, and statistical mechanics. This piece is a rather personal look back at him and his…
Einstein is considered by many as the father of quantum physics in some sense. Yet there is an unshakable view that he was wrong on quantum physics. Although it may be a subject of considerable debate, the core of his allegedly wrong…
I discuss examples of what Dr. Irving Langmuir, a Nobel prize winner in Chemistry, called "the science of things that aren't so." Some of his examples are reviewed and others from High Energy Physics are added. It is hoped that discussing…
The Pythagorean Theorem is one of the oldest, more famous and more useful theorems of Mathematics, and possibly the one that has had the most impact in the evolution of this and other sciences. In this article, we look at it from different…
Prof. K.G Ramanathan was a legendary Indian Mathematician, working in Number Theory and a prolific Institution builder. Apart from this, he was an excellent teacher and influenced several brilliant students. In this article, we overview his…
First rejected by the Nobel prize laureate Wolfgang Pauli as non-sense, the effect of vacuum polarization proves to be commonly observable in everyday life.
Egbert Brieskorn died on July 11, 2013, a few days after his 77th birthday. He was an impressive personality who has left a lasting impression on all who knew him, whether inside or outside of mathematics. Brieskorn was a great…
James Earl Baumgartner (March 23, 1943 - December 28, 2011) came of age mathematically during the emergence of forcing as a fundamental technique of set theory, and his seminal research changed the way set theory is done. He made…
The mid-17th century saw unprecedented scientific progress. With the Middle Ages well and truly over, the Scientific Revolution had begun. However, scientific advancement does not always proceed along well-planned trajectories. Chance…