Pearls from a Lost City

Roman Duda, University of Wroclaw, Poland.

Many journal articles have been devoted to various aspects of mathematics in Lvov or to biographies of Lvov mathematicians, but Duda's book is the first comprehensive exposition...In summary, I conclude that Duda's book is a must for everyone interested in the history of functional analysis or in the history of mathematics in Poland." - Lech Maligranda, Mathematical Intelligencer"This eagerly awaited translation of the book Pearls describes a world-class Polish school of mathematics at Lvov (now the Ukrainian Lviv) that thrived during the interwar period and has left an enduring legacy that remains part of the folklore today. Published in English translation after a somewhat protracted period of negotiation, this important work fills a niche in the history of science and should become a standard source of mathematics in Poland, especially the genesis of functional analysis during its Golden Age, 1918-1939. Moreover, the translator, Oxford's Daniel Davies, explains material that is unlikely to be familiar to readers outside Poland." - Isis, A Journal of the History of Science Society"Many journal articles have been devoted to various aspects of mathematics in Lwów or to biographies of Lwów mathematicians, but Duda's book is the first comprehensive exposition. It is a must-read for everyone interested in the history of functional analysis or of mathematics in Poland, where the original Polish edition from 2007 ... has been highly successful. There is good reason to assume that the English version will be likewise successful." - Dirk Werner, ZMATH"This book gives the history of Lvov as a mathematical center, from pre-WWI to Soviet and Ukrainian times, looking especially at the interwar golden age and the special favorable environment for mathematical scholarship. The author also describes the ways in which the Soviets and Germans destroyed this rich environment. The book includes a list, with biographical sketches, of mathematicians associated with Lvov, and a Lvov biography. It was a special time and place for mathematics, disrupted by war and politics and oppression and murder, and one wonders what more could have been achieved in a peaceful environment." - CHOICE Reviews"The book under review is well and carefully written. The translation from Polish into English is polished and lively... I highly recommend the book for all university libraries, and I recommend it to those interested in the history of mathematics. The general mathematical reader will find it an entertaining and informative story about mathematicians and a truly extraordinary mathematical community." - Henry Heatherly, MAA Reviews

• BackgroundThe University and the Polytechnic in LvovPolish mathematics at the turn of the twentieth centurySierpiski's stay at the University of Lvov (1908-1914)The University in Warsaw and Janiszewski's program (1915-1920)World mathematics (active fields in Poland) around 1920The golden age: Individuals and communityThe mathematical community in Lvov after World War IMathematical studies and studentsJournals, monographs, and congressesThe popularization of mathematicsSocial life (the Scottish Café, the Scottish Book)The Polish Mathematical SocietyCollaboration with other centersIn the eyes of othersThe golden age: AchievementsStefan Banach's doctoral thesis and priority claimsProbability theoryMeasure theoryGame theory: A revelation without follow-upOperator theory in the 1920sMethodological audacityBanach's monograph: Polishing the pearlsOperator theory in the 1930s: The dazzle of pearlsNew perspectives for which time did not allowOn the peripheryOblivionUkrainization the Soviet way (1939-1941)The German occupation (1941-1944)The expulsion of Poles (1945-1946)Historical significanceChronological overviewChronology of events as perceived elsewhereInfluence on mathematics of the Lvov schoolA tentative summaryMathematics in Lvov after 1945List of Lvov mathematiciansMathematicians associated with LvovBibliographiesList of illustrationsIndex of names