Bernhard Riemann, 1826-1866

Detlef Laugwitz

This book, originally written in German and presented here in an English-language translation, is the first attempt to examine Riemann's scientific work from a single unifying perspective. Laugwitz describes Riemann's development of a conceptual approach to mathematics at a time when conventional algorithmic thinking dictated that formulas and figures, rigid constructs, and transformations of terms were the only legitimate means of studying mathematical objects. David Hilbert gave prominence to the Riemannian principle of utilizing thought, not calculation, to achieve proofs. Hermann Weyl interpreted the Riemann principle - for mathematics and physics alike - to be a matter of "understanding the world through its behavior in the infinitely small.". This remarkable work, rich in insight and scholarship, is addressed to mathematicians, physicists, and philosophers interested in...

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