E-Book Overview
As long as algebra and geometry The unreasonable effectiveness of proceeded along separate paths, mathematics in science . . . Eugene Wigner their advance was slow and their applications limited. But when these sciences joined Weil, if you knows of a better 'oie, company, they drew from each go to it. Bruce Bairnsfather other fresh vitality and thence forward marched on at a rapid pace What is now proved was once only towards perfeetion. imagined. Wi1liam Blake J oseph Louis Lagrange Growing specialization and diversification have brought a host of monographs and textbooks on increasingly specialized topics. However, the 'tree' of knowledge of mathematics and related fields does not grow only by putting forth new branches. It also happens, quite often in fact, that branches which were thought to be completely disparate are suddenly seen to be related. This series of books, Mathematics and Its Applications, is devoted to such (new) interrelations as exempla gratia: - a central concept which plays an important role in several different mathematical and/or scientific specialized areas; Editor's Preface 8 - new applications of the results and ideas from one area of scientific endeavor into another; - influences which the results, problems and concepts of one field of inquiry have and have had on the development of another. With books on topics such as these, of moderate length and price, which are stimulating rather than definitive, intriguing rather than encyclopaedic, we hope to contribute something towards better communication among the practitioners in diversified fields.
E-Book Content
Complementarity in Mathematics
Mathematics and Its Applications
Managing Editor: M. HAZEWINKEL
Department for Mathematics, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands Editorial Board:
R. W. BROCKETT, Harvard Univ., Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. Yu.1. MAN IN, Steklov Inst. Math., Moscow, U.S.S.R.
G.-C. ROTA, M.l. T., Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A.
Volume 1
Willem Kuyk Professor of Pure Mathematics, University ofAntwerp (R.U.C.A. and U.I.A.)
Complementarity in Mathematics A First Introduction to the Foundations o[ Mathematics and lts History
SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.V.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Kuyk, Willem. Complementarity in mathematics. (Mathematics and its applications ; v. 1) Bibliography: p. lncludes indexes. 1. Mathematics~Philosophy. 2. Mathematics~ History. 1. Title. II. Series: Mathematics and its applications (Dordrecht) ; v. 1. QA8.4.K87 510'.1 77-8838 ISBN 978-90-481-8348-7 ISBN 978-94-015-7624-6 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-015-7624-6
All Rights Reserved Copyright © 1977 by Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Originally published by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland in 1977 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1977 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any informational storage and retrieval system, without written permis sion from the copyright owner
Ta:
Minke, never searing Denise, most endearing
Editor's Preface
The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in science... Eugene Wigner Weil, if you knows of a better 'oie, go to it. Bruce Bairnsfather What is now proved was once only imagined. Wi1liam Blake
As long as algebra and geometry proceeded along separate paths, their advance was slow and their applications limited. But when these sciences joined company, they drew from each other fresh vitality and thenceforward marched on at a rapid pace towards perfeetion. J oseph Louis Lagrange
Growing specialization and diversification have brought a host of monographs and textbooks