150 Years of Progress in the
Mathematical Sciences
In connection with the Washington University Sesquicentennial celebrations, the Department of Mathematics is hosting a conference. Entitled "150 Years of Progress in the Mathematical Sciences", this event will showcase some of the big events in mathematics in recent decades.
Some of the speakers who have agreed to participate include
- E. M. Stein, Princeton University
- R. R. Coifman, Yale University
- John P. D'Angelo, University of Illinois
- Richard Schoen, Stanford University
- Robert Bryant, Duke University
- Blaine Lawson, SUNY at Stony Brook
- Yves Meyer, University of Paris
- Joseph J. Kohn, Princeton University
Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.
Mathematical Sciences Research Institute.
Mathematics Department at Washington University.
Clay Mathematics Institute.
Literary Digest 29 (Oct. 15, 1904).
The International Congress of Arts and Science, held recently at St. Louis, in connection with the World's Fair, according to plans for which Prof. Hugo Mnsterberg, of Harvard, was chiefly responsible, is reported on all sides to have been a great success. Says Science, in a brief note:
"It was the unanimous opinion of nearly all those present that the congress was successful and successful beyond the anticipations that had been formed. There has perhaps never been assembled together a group of scholars so notable, and the addresses were real and in some cases important contributions to science. With the possible exception of the Encyclopedia Britannica, the addresses when published together will give the best review that has ever appeared of contemporary science and scholarship. There were about a hundred foreign delegates, each a leader in his science. A selection of names must be almost at random, but it may be questioned whether there were ever before gathered together in one room men of science and scholars so eminent as Poincare, Darboux, Picard, Boltzmann, Ostwald, van't Hoff, Ramsay, Moissan, Backlund, Arrhenius, Murray, Penek, Zirkel, de Vries, Giard, Delage, Hertwig, Waldeyer, Seler, Hffding, Erdmann, Ward, Liebreich, Kitasato, Semon, Escherlich, Rein, Lamprecht, Conrad, Furwngler, Harnack, Brunialti, and Bryce. The American speakers and chairman formed a group of leaders in scientific research of whom any country might be proud.
"A congress of arts and sciences gives distinction to a universal exposition, but no one supposes that it is the most suitable place for such a meeting. There are many material difficulties which were by no means overcome at St. Louis. The audiences averaged about a hundred -- though in one case at least there were only five hearers present -- but they were not composed chiefly of scientific men. Criticism should, however, be overshadowed by appreciation. Never before has an attempt been made to give such a complete and unified summary of the progress of science."