Courant (Paperback)

by Constance Reid (Author) "IN THE SUMMER OF 1970 I received a letter from K. O. Friedrichs, a professor at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences in New York..." (more)
Key Phrases: earth telegraphy, mathematics institute, scientific faculty, New York, United States, New Rochelle (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"A fascinating and very well written account about an unusual man." -- American Journal of Physics

"[Courant] is a story of great mathematicians and their achievements, of practical successes and failures, and of human perfidy and generosity...This is one of the still too rare occasions in which mathematicians are shown as frail, flesh-and-blood creatures...A very worthwhile book." -- Choice

From the reviews: EMS NEWSLETTER "...fascinating and well written..." THE BULLETIN OF MATHEMATICS BOOKS "Originally published to great acclaim, both books explore the dramatic scientific history expressed in the lives of these two great scientists and described in the lively, nontechnical writing style of Constance Reid."  

Product Description
Almost twenty-five years after his death, Richard Courant remains a highly controversial figure. The deep affection he inspired among friends, colleagues and students is still matched by distrust and dislike in much of the mathematical community. He was a man of such contradictions in character and action that one of his colleagues, resorting to an accepted mathematical method of proof, claimed "by contradiction" that he simply did not exist. But exist he did. On April 1, 1933, he was an internationally famous and influential German professor, the director of the first institute in the world devoted entirely to mathematics, a trusted adviser of the education ministry, a successful author and editor, a man surrounded by a mathematical family of gifted students. Eight days later, he was dismissed from his position by the Nazis. Through friends, he obtained a modest position in the United States at a University with no mathematical reputation whatsoever. What followed-the founding and development of one of America's most important centers of applied mathematics, the Courant Institute at New York University-is one of the great success stories of mathematics. Courant is Constance Reid's engrossing account of the life of this compelling, enigmatic, and perversely heroic mathematician.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 318 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (May 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387946705
• ISBN-13: 978-0387946702
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #890,305 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Builder of Centers of Excellence in Mathematics, June 26, 2005

By	Cassey Lee (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a book that would interest people who enjoy reading books about the history of mathematics, particularly about the communities and and institutions of mathematics. The period covered is from the late 19th Century. Courant was student and later, a colleague of the famous mathematician Hilbert at Gottingen. Courant is obviously not as famous as Hilbert and the book does not focus on his achievements in mathematics. Instead, it discusses more about how he relates to other mathematicians, and his tireless efforts in trying to establish and nurture two centers of excellence in mathematics - the Mathematical Institute at Gottingen and the Courant Institute of Mathematics at New York.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Builder of Centers of Excellence in Mathematics, March 16, 2007

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

This is a book that would interest people who enjoy reading books about the history of mathematics, particularly about the communities and and institutions of mathematics. The period covered is from the late 19th Century. Courant was student and later, a colleague of the famous mathematician Hilbert at Gottingen. Courant is obviously not as famous as Hilbert and the book does not focus on his achievements in mathematics. Instead, it discusses more about how he relates to other mathematicians, and his tireless efforts in trying to establish and nurture two centers of excellence in mathematics - the Mathematical Institute at Gottingen and the Courant Institute of Mathematics at New York.

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!!!!, August 12, 1999

By A Customer

If you are interested in mathematics and are/aren't a mathematician, if you are interested in American/German jewish history of the 20th century, if you are interested in science during WW2, you will love this book - I did!