Mathematics in Berlin

de Heinrich Begehr

This book is a font of information for readers interested in the mathematical past and present of Berlin. It presents a comprehensive, condensed overview of mathematical activity in Berlin, beginning with the foundation of the Academy by Leibniz and carrying over almost to the present day. Many towering figures in mathematical history worked in Berlin, and thus most of the chapters of this book are essentially concise biographies of these luminaries. The presentations are held together and complemented by a few articles examining the overall development of entire periods of scientific life at Berlin. Chapters cover the foundation of the University of Berlin, the "Golden Age" of mathematics (spanning the second half of the 19th century), the Nazi period, the development of mathematics in East and West Berlin during the political division of the city, and the merging of the formerly separated mathematical communities with the reunification of Germany.