Stephen Smale: The Mathematician Who Broke the Dimension Barrier [Hardcover]

Steve Batterson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0821820451 | ISBN-13: 978-0821820452 | Publication Date: February 2000

In 1957 Stephen Smale startled the mathematical world by showing that, in a theoretical sense, it is possible to turn a sphere inside out. A few years later, from the beaches of Rio, he introduced the horseshoe map, demonstrating that simple functions could have chaotic dynamics. His next stunning mathematical accomplishment was to solve the higher-dimensional Poincaré conjecture, thus demonstrating that higher dimensions are simpler than the more familiar three. In 1966 in Moscow, he was awarded the Fields Medal, the most prestigious prize in mathematics.

Smale's vision and influence extended beyond mathematics into two vastly different realms. In 1965 in Berkeley, he initiated a program with Jerry Rubin of civil disobedience directed at ending the Vietnam War. And as a mineral collector, he accumulated a museum-quality collection that ranks among the finest in the world. Despite these diverse accomplishments, Smale's name is virtually unknown outside mathematics and mineral collecting. One of the objectives of this book is to bring his life and work to the attention of a larger community.

There are few good biographies of mathematicians. This makes sense when considering that to place their lives in perspective requires some appreciation of their theorems. Biographical writers are not usually trained in mathematics, and mathematicians do not usually write biographies. Though the author, Steve Batterson, is primarily a mathematician, he has long been intrigued by the notion of working on a biography of Smale. In this book, Batterson records and makes known the life and accomplishments of this great mathematician and significant figure in intellectual history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Batterson's book is readable by, and accessible to, high school students ... Smale's life is inspiring; Batterson's book is fascinating. -- The Mathematics Teacher

From the Publisher

There are few good biographies of mathematicians. This makes sense when considering that to place their lives in perspective requires some appreciation of their theorems. Biographical writers are not usually trained in mathematics, and mathematicians do not usually write biographies. Though the author, Steve Batterson, is primarily a mathematician, he has long been intrigued by the notion of working on a biography of Smale. In this book, Batterson records and makes known the life and accomplishments of this great mathematician and significant figure in intellectual history.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 306 pages
• Publisher: Amer Mathematical Society (February 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821820451
• ISBN-13: 978-0821820452
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,187,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A marvelous book, December 6, 2004

By 

ktrmes "ktrmes" (New York, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stephen Smale: The Mathematician Who Broke the Dimension Barrier (Hardcover)

This book not only provides a useful description of some of the theory at a level technical enough to be satisfying, but also gives a fascinating view into the life and thinking of a Field's Medal winner (1966). Who would have guessed that the future Field's Medal Winner received a C in Calculus II and Physics and that he had a B- average Jr. year at the University of Michigan? And perhaps particularly heartening to those who have been through the graduate school experience, that he was less favored than Munkries and received an ultimatum from the chairman to improve (and that in graduate school, according to Raul Bott, Smale sat in the back and it wasn't clear he was always paying attention). But, of course, Smale more than redeems himself resulting in a storied career and a reputation that surpasses the boundaries of his specialties. This is a marvelous book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Biography of an Unusual Mathematician, September 16, 2009

By 

Cassey Lee (Malaysia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stephen Smale: The Mathematician Who Broke the Dimension Barrier (Hardcover)

Batterson's book is the only book length biography of Stephen Smale, a Field medalist (1966), who made major contributions to topology and dynamical systems. In the first half of the book, Smale is depicted as a brilliant mathematician who had a relatively humble beginning and was a relatively late bloomer as well. A theme that runs through the book and one that predominates the middle part of the book is Smale's social activism. The last one-third of the book deals with a variety of topics - Smale interests in minerals and photography, his adventures trips (e.g. climbing mountains, sailing) and "other people" (family members, students and his involvement in a gender discrimination lawsuit filed a by a junior colleague). The book ends with a chapter with an assessment of Smale contributions and stature as a mathematician as well as his departure to take up an appointment in Hong Kong. Personally, I found the book to be fairly uneven - I particularly enjoyed reading the early chapters on Smale's coming of age as a creative mathematician. The middle part dealing his social activism was for me less enjoyable - partly due the extensive effort made to explain the socio-political events in the 1960s. These narratives distract the readers away from Smale mathematical work during this period but are essential as they provide the social-political environment within which Smale's activism was prominent. The last few chapters seemed to be a few chapters thrown together to cover topics that were left out earlier. The fact that I had such a mixed view of the book is probably not due to the author's writing ability but more to Smale's unusual character - very few mathematicians are known for their brilliance as well as for their active commitment to social issues.