Why I Study the History of Mathematics

Abstract

I was inspired to study the history of mathematics by my doctoral dissertation advisor Dr. Charles (Charlie) E. Aull. This is one of the many benefits which my mathematical father has given me (one of the others being the joy of researching both history and mathematics). I can remember that during my three years at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (and State University) history was always on Charlie’s mind — which is probably one of the reasons that we used Topological Structures by Wolfgang Thron as our textbook (probably the other being that Thron is my mathematical grandfather). This provided my introduction into the history of general topology and began my acquaintanceship with the lives and works of Pavel Sergeevich Alexandroff^l and Pavel Samuelovich Urysohn. Charlie told me that Alexandroff wanted to have the Memoirs on compact topological spaces translated into English. Acquiring a copy of the original French version, I did so — only to learn later that it was the 1971 Russian version with its voluminous footnotes which Alexandroff wanted translated. This became a project which necessitated my learning to read (and speak, albeit poorly) Russian.