Olga Taussky Todd

A collection of speeches from a one-day conference in memory of Olga Taussky-Todd held at Caltech in 1996. Additional contributors have added their articles to the volume and a review of Taussky-Todds professional work by H. Kisilevsky has also been included.

A new theory of culture presented with a new method achieved by comparing closely the art and science in 20th century Austria and Hungary. Major achievements that have influenced the world like psychoanalysis, abstract art, quantum physics, Gestalt psychology, formal languages, vision theories, and the game theory etc. originated from these countries, and influence the world still today as a result of exile nurtured in the US. A source book with numerous photographs, images and diagrams, it opens up a nearly infinite horizon of knowledge that helps one to understand what is going on in today’s worlds of art and science.

Sophie Germain taught herself mathematics by candlelight, huddled in her bedclothes. Ada Byron Lovelace anticipated aspects of general-purpose digital computing by more than a century. Cora Ratto de Sadosky advanced messages of tolerance and equality while sharing her mathematical talents with generations of students. This captivating book gives voice to women mathematicians from the late eighteenth century through to the present day. It documents the complex nature of the conditions women around the world have faced--and continue to face--while pursuing their careers in mathematics. The stories of the three women above and those of many more appear here, each one enlightening and inspiring. The earlier parts of the book provide historical context and perspective, beginning with excursions into the lives of fifteen women born before 1920. Included are histories of collective efforts to improve women's opportunities in research mathematics. In addition, a photo essay puts a human face on the subject as it illustrates women's contributions in professional associations. More than eighty women from academe, government, and the private sector provide a rich mélange of insights and strategies for creating workable career paths while maintaining rewarding personal lives. The book discusses related social and cultural issues, and includes a summary of recent comparative data relating to women and men in mathematics and women from other sciences. First-person accounts provide explicit how-tos; many narratives demonstrate great determination and perseverance. Talented women vividly portray their pleasure in discovering new mathematics. The senior among them speak out candidly, interweaving their mathematics with autobiographical detail. At the beginning of a new century, women at all stages of their careers share their outlooks and experiences. Clear, engaging, and meticulously researched, Complexities will inspire young women who are contemplating careers in mathematics and will speak to women in many fields of endeavor and walks of life.

This unique collection contains extensive and in-depth interviews with mathematicians who have shaped the field of mathematics in the twentieth century. Collected by two mathematicians respected in the community for their skill in communicating mathematical topics to a broader audience, the book is also rich with photographs and includes an introdu

Apart from a few articles, no comprehensive study has been written about the learned men and women in America with Czechoslovak roots. That’s what this compendium is all about, with the focus on immigration from the period of mass migration and beyond, irrespective whether they were born in their European ancestral homes or whether they have descended from them. Czech and Slovak immigrants, including Bohemian Jews, have brought to the New World their talents, their ingenuity, their technical skills, their scientific knowhow, and their humanistic and spiritual upbringing, reflecting upon the richness of their culture and traditions, developed throughout centuries in their ancestral home. This accounts for the remarkable success and achievements of these settlers in their new home, transcending through their descendants, as this monograph demonstrates. The monograph has been organized into sections by subject areas, i.e., Scholars, Social Scientists, Biological Scientists, and Physical Scientists. Each individual entry is usually accompanied with literature, and additional biographical sources for readers who wish to pursue a deeper study. The selection of individuals has been strictly based on geographical ground, without regards to their native language or ethical background. This was because under the Habsburg rule the official language was German and any nationalistic aspirations were not tolerated. Consequently, it would be virtually impossible to determine their innate ethnic roots or how the respective individuals felt. Doing it in any other way would be a mere guessing, and, thus, less objective.

Burn for Burn

This features contributions by and about some of the luminaries of American mathematics. Included here are essays based on presentations made during the symposium Celebration of 100 Years of Annual Meetings, held at the AMS meeting in Cincinnati in 1994. The papers in this collection form a vibrant collage of mathematical personalities. This book weaves a tapestry of mathematical life in the United States, with emphasis on the past seventy years. Photographs, old and recent, further decorate that tapestry. There are many stories to be told about the making of mathematics and the personalities of those who meet to share it. This collection offers a celebration in words and pictures of a century of American mathematical life.