| Contents |
The hyperbolic revolution: from topology to geometry, and back / Francis Bonahon -- A century of complex dynamics / Daniel Alexander and Robert L. Devaney -- Map-coloring problems / Robin Wilson -- Six milestones in geometry / Frank Morgan -- Defying God: the Stanley-Wilf Conjecture, Stanley-Wilf Limits, and a two-generation explosion of combinatorics / Eric S. Egge -- What is the best approach to counting primes? / Andrew Granville -- A century of elliptic curves / Joseph H. Silverman -- The Mathematical Association of America: its first 100 years / David E. Zitarelli -- The stratification of the American mathematical community: the Mathematical Association of America and the American Mathematical Society, 1915-1925 / Karen Hunger Parshall -- Time and place: sustaining the American mathematical community / Della Dumbaugh -- Abstract (modern) algebra in America 1870-1950: a brief account / Israel Kleiner -- The history of the undergraduate program in mathematics in the United States / Alan Tucker -- Inquiry-based learning through the life of the MAA / Michael Starbird -- A passport to pleasure / Bob Kaplan and Ellen Kaplan -- Strength in numbers: broadening the view of the mathematics major / Rhonda Hughes -- A history of undergraduate research in mathematics / Joseph A. Gallian -- The calculus reform movement: a personal account / Paul Zorn -- Introducing e[superscript]x / Gilbert Strang -- Computational experiences in the pre-electronic days / Philip J. Davis -- A century of visualization: one geometer's view / Thomas F. Banchoff -- The future of mathematics: 1965-2065 / Jonathan M. Borwein -- Philosophy of mathematics: what has happened since Gödel's results? / Bonnie Gold -- Twelve classics people who love mathematics should know; or, "What do you mean, you haven't read E.T. Bell?" / Gerald L. Alexanderson -- The dramatic life of mathematics: a centennial history of the intersection of mathematics and theater in a prologue, three acts, and an epilogue / Stephen D. Abbott -- 2007: the year of Euler / William Dunham -- The Putnam Competition: origin, lore, structure / Leonard F. Klosinski -- Getting involved with MAA: a path less traveled / Ezra "Bud" Brown -- Henry L. Alder / Donald J. Albers and Gerald L. Alexanderson -- Lida K. Barrett / Kenneth A. Ross -- Ralph P. Boas / Daniel Zelinsky -- Leonard Gillman--Reminiscences / Martha J. Siegel -- Paul Halmos: no apologies / John Ewing -- Ivan Niven / Kenneth A. Ross -- George Pólya and the MAA / Gerald L. Alexanderson. |
| Abstract |
"The MAA [Mathematical Association of America] was founded in 1915 to serve as a home for The American Mathematical Monthly. The mission of the Association--to advance mathematics, especially at the collegiate level--has, however, always been larger than merely publishing world-class mathematical exposition. MAA members have explored more than just mathematics; we have, as this volume tries to make evident, investigated mathematical connections to pedagogy, history, the arts, technology, literature, every field of intellectual endeavor. Essays, all commissioned for this volume, include exposition by Bob Devaney, Robin Wilson, and Frank Morgan; history from Karen Parshall, Della Dumbaugh and Bill Dunham; pedagogical discussion from Paul Zorn, Joe Gallian and Michael Starbird, and cultural commentary from Bonnie Gold, Jon Borwein and Steve Abbott. This volume contains 35 essays by all-star writers and expositors writing to celebrate an extraordinary century for mathematics--more mathematics has been created and published since 1915 than in all of previous recorded history. We've solved age-old mysteries, created entire new fields of study, and changed our conception of what mathematics is. Many of those stories are told in this volume as the contributors paint a portrait of the broad cultural sweep of mathematics during the MAA's first century. Mathematics is the most thrilling, the most human, area of intellectual inquiry; you will find in this volume compelling proof of that claim."-- Back cover. |
