On July 17, 2012, the centenary of Henri Poincaré's death was commemorated; his name being associated with so many fields of knowledge that he was considered as the Last Universalist. In Pure and Applied Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy, Engineering and Philosophy, his works have had a great impact all over the world. Poincaré acquired in his lifetime such a reputation that, both nationally and internationally, his life and career were made the object of various articles in the daily papers not only in France, but also in the USA. Some of his philosophical concepts have even caused sharp controversies in the Press (as we will discover in this book).
This work presents an original portrait of Henri Poincaré based on various press cuttings from The New York Times, The San Francisco Sunday Call, The Times, The Sun, The Washington Post that chronicled unknown anecdotes of his life (for example, his first name was actually not Henri, but Henry; he obtained his high school diploma in sciences with a zero in mathematics, etc.). Such an approach enables the discovering of many forgotten or unknown aspects of his scientific and philosophical works as well as his important role in the public sphere.
Sample Chapter(s)
Foreword (90 KB)
Chapter 1: The Poincar'e Family (278 KB)
Contents:
- The Early Years:
- The Poincaré Family
- Childhood and Studies
- Inspector of Mines in Vesoul
- The Professor and the Savant:
- From the University of Caen to the Sorbonne
- From the Sorbonne to the Académie
- The Prize of King Oscar II of Sweden and Norway
- The Universal Thinker and the Public Figure:
- French Geodesy and the Fight Over the Meridian
- The Controversy Over the Rotation of the Earth
- The Philosophical Work and Its Impact
- The Committed Man:
- The Dreyfus Affair
- The Role Model — The Immortal
- Last Commitments, Last Works
Readership: Scientists and historians of science.
“The full review in chapter 9 gives an excellent description of Poincaré's interpretation of non-Euclidean geometry and his wider views on mathematics, and it would make very informative reading for contemporary students of this subject. I very much enjoyed reading this book, it portrays many lesser-known aspects of Poincaré's life and work; and it is richly illustrated with facsimiles from a variety of unusual sources.”
Mathematical Association of America
“This book is a welcome addition to the many biographies of Poincaré that exist already. It sheds a light on Poincaré from a different perspective that we do not find elsewhere.”
European Mathematical Society
“Ginoux and Gerini have inspired this reviewer to further explore Poincaré's writings for the lay public.”
CHOICE
“The presentation of his involvement in Ernst Mach's thinking and the Earth's rotation is the high point of this small book.”
CERN Courier
"By the turn of the twentieth century, Poincaré had become a leading figure in French intellectual life. So the questions of how Poincaré was presented to and viewed by the general public, both at home and abroad, are worthwhile to pursue. By uncovering many fascinating newspapers articles and other documents, and setting them into context with the words of Poincaré himself, the authors have cut an attractive path through hitherto unexplored terrain."
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