The Poincaré conjecture
Subtitle: in search of the shape of the universe
By: Donal O'Shea.
Edition: 1st U.S. ed.
Publisher: Walker & Co.; Distributed to the trade by Holtzbrinck Publishers
Published: 2007
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 293
ISBN-13: 9780802715326
Subjects: Poincaré, Henri, -- 1854-1912; Perelman, Grigori; Poincaré conjecture; Algebraic topology; Mathematics -- Awards -- History; Mathematicians -- History
Description: Conceived in 1904, the Poincaré conjecture, a puzzle that speaks to the possible shape of the universe and lies at the heart of modern topology and geometry, has resisted attempts by generations of mathematicians to prove or to disprove it.  Despite a million-dollar prize for a solution, Russian mathematician Grigory Perelman, posted his solution on the Internet instead of publishing it in a peer-reviewed journal. This book "tells the story of the fascinating personalities, institutions, and scholarship behind the centuries of mathematics that have led to Perelman's dramatic proof."  The author also chronicles dramatic events at the 2006 International Congress of Mathematicians in Madrid, where Perelman was awarded a Fields Medal for his solution, which he declined.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 259-272) and index.
Table of contents: title: Cambridge, April 2003; title: The shape of the earth; title: Possible worlds; title: The shape of the universe; title: Euclid's geometry; title: The non-Euclideans; title: Bernhard Riemann's probationary lecture; title: Riemann's legacy; title: Klein and Poincaré; title: Poincaré's topological papers; title: The great savants; title: The conjecture takes hold; title: Higher dimensions; title: A solution in the new millennium; title: Madrid, August 2006.