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The random walks of George Pólya. With essays by Ralph P. Boas jr., Kai Lai Chung, D. H. Lehmer, R. C. Read, Doris Schattschneider, M. M. Schiffer, and Alan Schoenfeld. (English) Zbl 0942.01028

MAA Spectrum. Washington, DC: Mathematical Association of America (MAA). xii, 303 p. (2000).
A book describing the life, work, and research of the Hungaro-American mathematician György (George) Pólya (1887-1985). The biographical part (on 163 pages) is written by G. L. Alexanderson, who, as a graduate student, worked from 1955 with Pólya in Stanford and was then his nearest colleague and friend, later the President of the Mathematical Association of America. In a very lively style all Pólya’s life and work is recorded from childhood and education in Budapest, where he graduated from the Eőtvős University in 1912, advancing the mathematical training in Vienna, Göttingen and Paris Universities (1912-14), work as Privatdozent and then Professor in Zürich (1914-40), collaboration with G. Szegő, Rockefeller fellowship year 1924/25 in England, visit (1933) and removal in 1940 to the United States, professorship in Stanford until the retirement (1945-53), the last years. All this is illustrated with many interesting materials, concerning the encounters with the mathematicians, personal reminiscences, a lot of photos, most of them first published. Also Pólya research is characterized in general.
In seven appendices by other authors this reasearch is analysed more profoundly in special essays: on probability, analysis, number theory, geometry, enumeration theorem, mathematical physics, mathematics education. The book contains References (on 6 pages), Pólya’s complete Bibliography, list of references to Pólya’s work, list of scientists honored with the Prizes, Awards and Lectureships Honoring George Pólya. Four essays by Pólya are reproduced from American Mathematical Monthly. The book ends with a large Index.

MSC:

01A70 Biographies, obituaries, personalia, bibliographies
01A60 History of mathematics in the 20th century

Biographic References:

Pólya, György
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