Skip to main content

The Greatest Mathematician that Never Lived

The Greatest Mathematician that Never Lived  

Mystery of Nicolas Bourbaki — One of the Most Influential Mathematicians of all time…

When Nicolas Bourbaki applied to the American Mathematical Society within the 1950s, he was already one among the foremost influential mathematicians of his time. 

The greatest mathematician that never lived

Yet his application was firmly rejected for one simple reason— Nicolas Bourbaki did not exist. Two decades earlier, mathematics was in disarray. Many established mathematicians had lost their lives in the first World War, and the field had become fragmented. Different branches used disparate methodology to pursue their own goals. And the lack of a shared mathematical language made it difficult to share or expand their work. 

In 1934, a group of French mathematicians were particularly fed up. While studying at the prestigious "École normale supérieure", they found the textbook for their calculus class so disjointed that they decided to write a better one. The small group quickly took on new members, and because the project grew, so did their ambition. The result was the "Éléments de mathématique," a treatise that sought to create a consistent logical framework unifying every branch of mathematics. 

The text began with a set of simple axioms— laws and assumptions it would use to build its argument. From there, its authors derived more and more complex theorems that corresponded with work being done across the field. But to truly reveal common ground, the group needed to identify consistent rules that applied to a wide range of problems. To accomplish this, they gave new, clear definitions to some of the most important mathematical objects, including the function. 

The greatest mathematician that never lived

It’s reasonable to think of functions as machines that accept inputs and produce an output. But if we think of functions as bridges between two groups, we can start to make claims about the logical relationships between them. 

For example, consider a group of numbers and a group of letters. We could define a function where every numerical input corresponds to the same alphabetical output, but this doesn’t establish a particularly interesting relationship. Alternatively, we could define a function where every numerical input corresponds to a different alphabetical output. This second function sets up a logical relationship where performing a process on the input has corresponding effects on its mapped output. 

The group began to define functions by how they mapped elements across domains. If a function’s output came from a unique input, they defined it as injective. If every output can be mapped onto at least one input, the function was subjective. And in bijective functions, each element had perfect one to one correspondence. This allowed mathematicians to establish logic that could be translated across the function’s domains in both directions. 

The greatest mathematician that never lived

Their systematic approach to abstract principles was in stark contrast to the popular belief that math was an intuitive science, and an over-dependence on logic constrained creativity. But this rebellious band of scholars gleefully ignored conventional wisdom. They were revolutionizing the field, and they wanted to mark the occasion with their biggest stunt yet. 

They decided to publish "Éléments de mathématique" and all their subsequent work under a collective pseudonym: Nicolas Bourbaki. Over the next two decades, Bourbaki’s publications became standard references. And the group’s members took their prank as seriously as their work. Their invented mathematician claimed to be a reclusive Russian genius who would only meet with his selected collaborators. They sent telegrams in Bourbaki’s name, announced his daughter’s wedding, and publicly insulted anyone who doubted his existence. 

In 1968, when they could no longer maintain the ruse, the group ended their joke the only way they could. They printed Bourbaki’s obituary, complete with mathematical puns. Despite his apparent death, the group bearing Bourbaki’s name lives on today. Though he’s not associated with any single major discovery, Bourbaki’s influence informs much current research. And the modern emphasis on formal proofs owes a great deal to his rigorous methods. Nicolas Bourbaki may have been imaginary— but his legacy is very real. 

The greatest mathematician that never lived

Thanks, Have a great day..... God Bless ♥♥♥


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Poverty In India

What Is Poverty? Poverty could also be a state or condition during which a private or community lacks the financial resource and essentials for a minimum standard of living. Poverty means the income level from employment is so low that basic human needs cannot be met. Each nation may have its own threshold that determines what percentage of its people sleep in poverty. Types of Poverty: Absolute Poverty: A condition where household income is below a necessary level to need care of basic living standards (food, shelter, housing). This condition makes it possible to match between different countries and also over time. Relative Poverty: It's defined from the social perspective that's living standard compare to the economic standard of population living in surrounding. Hence it is a measure of income inequality.  Usually, relative poverty is measured because the percentage of the population with income but some fixed proportion of median income.     Poverty In India Cau...

Generation Gap Article

Generation Gap Article Introduction Generation gap is a common phenomenon. The term is often used to state the difference of  opinions of parents, children or grand parents. Origin of the term - Generation Gap The theory of generation gap was introduced within the year 1960s.Around this point it had been observed that the younger generation questioned and went against almost everything their parents believed. This included their religious beliefs, politics views, moral values, relationship advice and even the sort of music and shows they like. Generation Gap - An Interesting Concept While generation gap is usually a cause of conflict between children and their parents, it is actually an interesting concept. People born in different ages are different from each other in different aspects. The world is changing at a rapid pace and thus the difference between people born in different times is inevitable. For instance if we mention India, people born before independence are different f...

Self Confidence

What is Self Confidence? Self Confidence means to have confidence in yourself. You do not have any doubt on your skills, capabilities and the way you perform any task. It defines how positive you are internally. Self Confidence helps to make right decisions. It is just a state of mind which comes from inner positivity, feeling of well-being, belief in your skills, ability and knowledge and acceptance of your own body and mind.Always be curious to know the things deeply which boosts your energy and make you more confident. How to Build Self-Confidence?   Positive thinking Practice Continuous Learning Training Knowledge Experience Talking to others Accept compliments Be presentable socially Be kind Don't lose hope Give your best Always be happy Accept yourself Focus on your goals Respect everyone Look for new challenges and work to achieve success Encourage and motivate people. Always be curious to grab more knowledge and information. Importa...