Person: Seidenberg, Abraham
Abraham Seidenberg was an American mathematician who worked in commutative algebra, algebraic geometry, differential algebra and the history of mathematics.
Mathematical Profile (Excerpt):
- In 1945 Seidenberg was appointed as an instructor in mathematics at the University of California at Berkeley.
- Ebe Seidenberg died in a clinic in Rome at the age of 87.
- Seidenberg contributed important research to commutative algebra, algebraic geometry, differential algebra, and the history of mathematics.
- Seidenberg's papers on differential algebra include Some basic theorems in differential algebra (characteristic p, arbitrary) (1952) and Some basic theorems in partial differential algebra (1958).
- Throughout his career Seidenberg published important papers on the history of mathematics.
- In The diffusion of counting practices (1960) Seidenberg argues that counting was diffused from one centre and was not discovered again and again as is commonly believed.
- In this latter paper Seidenberg compares the methods for calculating the volume of a sphere: in Greek mathematics, namely that by Archimedes; in Chinese mathematics, namely in the Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art ; in Babylonian mathematics; and in Egyptian mathematics.
- In Geometry and Algebra in Ancient Civilizations Van der Waerden puts forward similar views for which he gives credit to Seidenberg, saying that Seidenberg made him look at the history of mathematics a new way.
- We must not suppose that Seidenberg neglected his algebraic research in the latter part of his career.
Born 2 June 1916, Washington, D.C., USA. Died 3 May 1988, Milan, Italy.
View full biography at MacTutor
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Origin Usa
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- @J-J-O'Connor
- @E-F-Robertson
References
Adapted from other CC BY-SA 4.0 Sources:
- O’Connor, John J; Robertson, Edmund F: MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive
