Mathematics of the 19th Century: Function Theory According to Chebyshev, Ordinary Differential Equations, Calculus of Variations, Theory of Finite Differences

Rating:
Summary: Long shadow.
Review: (It is now in paperback!) I like this book because it highlights
how several of the central questions and ideas in mathematics from the 19th century still cast a long shadow into the present. It is as true for the pioneering work of Abel and Galois, from the early part of the period which is covered, as it is for the discoveries of Chebychev, Markov, and Kolmogorov toward the end. The period starts roughly at the time of the Napoleon wars, and extends up to the Second World War. The articles in this well written book go into mathematical detail (for example, Kummer's theory and work on Fermat's Last Theorem, Dedekin's ideal theory, and cuts,...)and they represent a well chosen treat of papers, written by major players.