Gösta Mittag-Leffler (1846–1927) played a significant role on the world stage as both a scientist and entrepreneur. Regarded as the father of Swedish mathematics, his influence extended far beyond his chosen field because of his extensive network of international contacts in science, business, and the arts. His social and professional circles included such luminaries as Selma Lagerlöf, Albert Einstein, Sonya Kovalevsky, Alfred Nobel, Karl Weierstrass, Henri Poincaré, and Marie Curie. (He was instrumental in seeing to it that the latter was awarded the Nobel Prize, not once but twice.) One of Mittag-Leffler’s major accomplishments was the founding of the journal Acta Mathematica in 1882. Today the journal is still published by Institut Mittag-Leffler and Sweden’s Royal Academy of Sciences, and it continues to be one of the most prestigious journals in mathematics. Arild Stubhaug’s research for this monumental biography of the Swedish mathematician relied on a wealth of primary and secondary resources, including more than 30000 letters that are part of the Mittag-Leffler archives. Written in a lucid and compelling manner, the biography contains many hitherto unknown facts about Mittag-Leffler’s personal life and professional endeavors. It will be of great interest to both mathematicians and general readers interested in science and culture.
Gösta Mittag-Leffler
Arild Stubhaug
Gösta Mittag-Leffler A Man of Conviction Translated by Tiina Nunnally
Arild Stubhaug Department of Mathematics University of Oslo Blindern Oslo Norway
[email protected] Translator: Tiina Nunnally PO Box 14630 Albuquerque, NM 87191 USA
Title of the Norwegian original edition 2007: Med viten og vilje - Gösta Mittag-Leffler (1846–1927) Publisher: H.Aschehoug & Co. (W.Nygaard), Oslo ISBN 978-82-03-23493-4 English translation © Tiina Nunnally 2010 Springer-Verlag thanks Per Øystein Roland of NORLA (Norwegian Literature Abroad, Fiction and Non-Fiction, http://www.norla.no/), Oslo, for the excellent collaboration and financial support for the translation, which made the publication of this book possible. Thanks go also to Harald Engelstad of H. Aschehoug & Co, Oslo.
ISBN 978-3-642-11671-1 e-ISBN 978-3-642-11672-8 DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-11672-8 Springer Heidelberg Dordrecht London New York Library of Congress Control Number: 2010932036 Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 01A55, 01A60, 01A70 © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in any other way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer. Violations are liable to prosecution under the German Copyright Law. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Cover design: WMXDesign GmbH Printed on acid-free paper Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media (www.springer.com)
Contents
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Prelude Journey at the Turn of the Century . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The House in Djursholm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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