Ernst Zermelo - An Approach to His Life and Work

This biography sheds light on all facets of the life and the achievements of Ernst Zermelo (1871-1953). Zermelo is best-known for the statement of the axiom of choice and his axiomatization of set theory. However, he also worked in applied mathematics and mathematical physics. His dissertation, for example, promoted the calculus of variations, and he created the pivotal method in the theory of rating systems.
The presentation of Zermelo's work explores motivations, aims, acceptance, and influence. Selected proofs and information gleaned from letters add to the analysis. The description of his personality owes much to conversations with his late wife Gertrud.
This second edition provides additional information. The system of citations has been adapted to that of Zermelo's Collected Works in order to facilitate side-by-side reading and thus profit from the thorough commentaries written for the Collected Works by experts in the respective fields.
All facts presented are documented by appropriate sources. The biography contains nearly 50 photos and facsimiles.

List of contents

1 Berlin 1871-1897.- 2 Göttingen 1897-1910.- 3 Zurich 1910-1921.- 4 Freiburg 1921-1953.- 5 A Final Word.- 6 Zermelo's Curriculum Vitae.- 7 Appendix. Selected Original Versions.- References.- Index.

Report

"This is the second edition of the well-received scientific biography of Ernst Zermelo. ... The second edition has retained the readability of the first edition and is a great read for all interested in the history of axiomatic set theory. The author succeeded in writing a very valuable scientific biography of one of the greatest abstract thinkers in the foundations of mathematics whose private and scientific life is almost unknown otherwise." (Thomas Sonar, zbMATH 1328.01002, 2016)

Product details

• Authors: Heinz Diete Ebbinghaus, Heinz Dieter Ebbinghaus, Volker Peckhaus
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.01.2016
• EAN: 9783662500972
• ISBN: 978-3-662-50097-2
• No. of pages: 384
• Dimensions: 156 mm x 16 mm x 236 mm
• Weight: 677 g
• Illustrations: XVI, 384 p. 43 illus.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Mathematics > General, dictionaries; B, History, Logic, Mathematics, History of Science, Mathematics and Statistics, Philosophie: Logik, Applications of Mathematics, Engineering mathematics, Mathematical theory of computation, Applied mathematics, History of Mathematical Sciences, Mathematical logic, Mathematical Logic and Foundations, Mathematical foundations, Philosophy: logic, Mathematical Logic and Formal Languages, Formal Languages and Automata Theory