L. E. J. Brouwer. Topologist, intuitionist, philosopher. How mathematics is rooted in life. Updated revision of the two volume biography ‘Mystic, geometer, and intuitionist. The life of L. E. J. Brouwer’ published 1999 and 2005. (English) Zbl 1255.01024

van Dalen, Dirk

Berlin: Springer (ISBN 978-1-4471-4615-5/hbk; 978-1-4471-4616-2/ebook). xii, 875 p. (2013).

This biography of the Dutch intuitionist and topologist L. E. J. Brouwer is the revised one volume version of the earlier two volume set entitled “Mystic, geometer, and intuitionist. The life of L. E. J. Brouwer, 1881–1966” [Oxford: Oxford University Press (1999/2005)]: “The contents have here and there been updated, and some sections have been pruned” (p. viii). The earlier version has been reviewed extensively (cf. Zbl 0916.01021; Zbl 1096.01014; Zbl 1122.01019). Nothing has to be added. The new edition is a step forward towards the verification of one the earlier reviewer’s evaluations (Zbl 1122.01019): “It will forever remain the main secondary source of information on L. E. J. Brouwer, and for decades a standard text on Brouwer’s life.”

Reviewer: Volker Peckhaus (Paderborn)

MSC:

01A70	Biographies, obituaries, personalia, bibliographies
00A30	Philosophy of mathematics
01-02	Research exposition (monographs, survey articles) pertaining to history and biography
01A60	History of mathematics in the 20th century
01A72	Schools of mathematics

Keywords:

biography; intuitionism; history of topology; mathematics and National Socialism; Dutch mathematics

Citations:

Zbl 0916.01021; Zbl 1096.01014; Zbl 1122.01019