Essays in Constructive Mathematics - Harold M. Edwards

Essays in Constructive Mathematics

Buch | Hardcover
XIV, 322 Seiten
2022 | 2nd ed. 2022
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
978-3-030-98557-8 (ISBN)
106,99 inkl. MwSt

This collection of essays aims to promote constructive mathematics, not by defining it or formalizing it, but by practicing it. All definitions and proofs are based on finite algorithms, which pave illuminating paths to nontrivial results, primarily in algebra, number theory, and the theory of algebraic curves. The second edition adds a new set of essays that reflect and expand upon the first. 

The topics covered derive from classic works of nineteenth-century mathematics, among them Galois's theory of algebraic equations, Gauss's theory of binary quadratic forms, and Abel's theorems about integrals of rational differentials on algebraic curves. Other topics include Newton's diagram, the fundamental theorem of algebra, factorization of polynomials over constructive fields, and the spectral theorem for symmetric matrices, all treated using constructive methods in the spirit of Kronecker.

In this second edition, the essays of the first edition are augmented with newessays that give deeper and more complete accounts of Galois's theory, points on an algebraic curve, and Abel's theorem. Readers will experience the full power of Galois's approach to solvability by radicals, learn how to construct points on an algebraic curve using Newton's diagram, and appreciate the amazing ideas introduced by Abel in his 1826 Paris memoir on transcendental functions.

Mathematical maturity is required of the reader, and some prior knowledge of Galois theory is helpful.  But experience with constructive mathematics is not necessary; readers should simply be willing to set aside abstract notions of infinity and explore deep mathematics via explicit constructions.

Harold M. Edwards [1936-2020] was Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at New York University. His research interests lay in number theory, algebra, and the history and philosophy of mathematics. He authored numerous books, including Riemann's Zeta Function (1974, 2001) and Fermat's Last Theorem (1977), for which he received the Leroy P. Steele Prize for mathematical exposition in 1980. David A. Cox is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics of Amherst College. He received the Leroy P. Steele Prize for mathematical exposition in 2016 for his book Ideals, Varieties, and Algorithms, with John Little and Donal O'Shea.

Part I.- 1. A Fundamental Theorem.- 2. Topics in Algebra.- 3. Some Quadratic Problems.- 4. The Genus of an Algebraic Curve.- 5. Miscellany. Part II.- 6. Constructive Algebra.- 7. The Algorithmic Foundation of Galois's Theory.- 8. A Constructive Definition of Points on an Algebraic Curve.- 9. Abel's Theorem.

"A book of this kind with significantly worked-out algorithmic calculations, including many examples, is a rare valuable product." (Wim Ruitenburg, Mathematical Reviews, April, 2024)

"This is the second edition of Harold Edwards' Essays in Constructive Mathematics ... . The essays contained in this volume are serious works of mathematics done from a constructivist perspective. ... I think that most mathematicians already familiar with these topics will find Edwards' constructivist approach to the topics covered to be fascinating." (Benjamin Linowitz, MAA Reviews, December 31, 2023)

Erscheinungsdatum
Co-Autor David A. Cox
Zusatzinfo XIV, 322 p. 390 illus., 325 illus. in color.
Verlagsort Cham
Sprache englisch
Maße 155 x 235 mm
Gewicht 661 g
Themenwelt Mathematik / Informatik Mathematik Allgemeines / Lexika
Mathematik / Informatik Mathematik Geschichte der Mathematik
Schlagworte Abel's theorem constructive formulation • algorithmic foundations of Galois theory • constructive algebra • constructive approach to mathematical proof • constructive definition of points on an algebraic curve • Constructive Mathematics • Galois theory constructive approach • Gauss binary quadratic forms • genus of an algebraic curve • Kronecker general arithmetic • Newton's diagram
ISBN-10 3-030-98557-1 / 3030985571
ISBN-13 978-3-030-98557-8 / 9783030985578
Zustand Neuware
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