John Von Neumann: Selected LettersJohn von Neumann was perhaps the most influential mathematician of the twentieth century, especially if his broad influence outside mathematics is included. The present volume is the first substantial collection of (previously mainly unpublished) letters written by von Neumann to colleagues, friends, government officials, and others. The letters give us a glimpse of the thinking of John von Neumann about mathematics, physics, computer science, science management, education, consulting, politics, and war. Readers of quite diverse backgrounds will find much of interest in this first-hand look at one of the towering figures of twentieth century science. |
Contents
Letter to N Aronszajn | 41 |
Letter to W J E Blaschke | 70 |
Letter to R Carnap | 85 |
Letter to F W Crocker | 93 |
Letter to W M DuMond | 109 |
Letters to K Gödel | 123 |
Letter to G B Harrison | 138 |
Letters to I Kaplansky | 154 |
Letter to J Lederberg | 171 |
Letter to O Morgenstern | 186 |
Letter to W Overbeck | 205 |
Letter to L Spitzer | 222 |
Letter to J Stroux | 241 |
Letter to E R van Kampen | 260 |
Letters to N Wiener | 277 |
Notes on addressees of von Neumanns letters | 285 |
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John von Neumann: Selected Letters: Selected Letters John Von Neumann,Miklós Rédei Limited preview - 2005 |
Common terms and phrases
Advanced Study School Applied Mathematics Archives Atomic Birkhoff bounded operators Budapest Cambridge Collected Works Vol complete computing machine connection consider continuous geometries correspondence course Dear December defined detailed digits dimension function dimensional dimensions discussion Editor English Letter ENIAC equivalent existence factor field finite function Garrett Birkhoff glad Gödel Harvard Hermitean Hilbert space hope Institute for Advanced interesting Introductory Comments January John von Neumann language of original lattice lecture Library of Congress linear manuscript mathematician means method Murray Neumann algebras Neumann Original Neumann Papers Neumann's letter November November 20 October Ortvay physicist physics possible probably problems Professor projective geometry proof prove published quantum logic quantum mechanics question real numbers rings of operators Schrödinger Section selfadjoint Silsbee Sincerely spectral set subspaces symmetric theory topology Ulam Veblen von Neumann algebras Washington write
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Page xvii - ... involvements will seem simple. We should not deceive ourselves: once such possibilities become actual, they will be exploited. It will, therefore, be necessary to develop suitable new political forms and procedures. All experience shows that even smaller technological changes than those now in the cards profoundly transform political and social relationships. Experience also shows that these transformations are not a priori predictable and that most contemporary "first guesses