From Kant to Hilbert: A source book in the foundations of mathematics

William Bragg Ewald9780198505365, 0198505361, 9781435609662

Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason is widely taken to be the starting point of the modern period of mathematics while David Hilbert was the last great mainstream mathematician to pursue importatn nineteenth century ideas. This two-volume work provides an overview of this important era of mathematical research through a carefully chosen selection of articles. They provide an insight into the foundations of each of the main branches of mathematics – algebra, geometry, number theory, analysis, logic, and set theory – with narratives to show how they are linked. Classic works by Bolzano, Riemann, Hamilton, Dedekind, and Poincare are reproduced in reliable translations and many selections from writers such as Gauss, Cantor, Kronecher, and Zermelo are here translated for the first time. The collection is an invaluable source for anyone wishing to gain an understanding of the foundation of modern mathematics.