Saunders Mac Lane

Mac Lane, Saunders

" Mac Lane is an immense presence in modern mathematics. One of the last Americans to be educated in Gottingen prior to the Nazi era, Mac Lane was ideally and propitiously situated to become a leader in modern algebra and modern algebraic topology. His influence on our subject has been powerful and widespread. This chronicle tells of an influential and important life. -Steven G. Krantz, Washington University in St. Louis, March 2005 "Studying mathematics in high school or even college rarely gives you a sense of what mathematical research is all about..." -Ivars Peterson, Science News Online, April 2005 "Saunders Mac Lane war einer der Mathematiker, die die Forschung fast des gesamten 20. Jahrhunderts miterlebt und mitgestaltet haben..." -George Szpiro, NZZ am Sonntag, October 2005 "Saunders Mac Lane, who died April 14, 2005, at 95, remains well-known for his seminal work incategory theory, homological algebra, algebraic topology, etc. and was active in mathematics and public service until late in his life." -Lance W. Small, Notices of the AMS, November 2005 "Here is the personalized and deftly written story of a century of extraordinary accomplishments and tragedies that will inform and inspire future generations of aspiring mathematicians and is therefore an essential addition to all college and university library collections." -Willis M. Buhle, Midwest Book Review, November 2005 "In reading his autobiography, I feel that I have been given the gift of a small window into his life and his thoughts." -Amy Shell-Gellasch, MAA Online, February 2006 "This book is an excellent autobiography written by one of the greatest 20th century mathematicians Saunders Mac Lane." -Newsletter of the European Mathematical Society , June 2006 "This is a splendid book... Despite the word 'mathematical' in the title... this is a book for the non-specialist reader as well as the mathematician [revealing] many fascinating insights into the characters of the people and institutions with which the author came into contact during his long career." -Peter Johnstone, Mathematiacl Reviews, August 2006 "It takes a rare personality to write an autobiography and an even rarer one to write an autobiography with candour ... this book is a 'must read' for anyone interested in the history of 20th-century American mathematics and for anyone interested in the history of category theory, homological algebra, and homotopy theory." -K.V.H. Parshall, History and Philosophy of Logic, February 2007 "Ein fast hundertjahriges Gelehhrtenleben tut sich vor uns auf! ... Wie nicht anders zu erwarten wird uns viel Interessantes uber eine lange Epoche aus mathematischer Sicht geboten ... Die Aufmachung des Bandes ist gediegen und ansprechend - fester Deckel, hubsche Fotografien und augenschonendes Papier. Ich las diese Biographie mit Freude und Gewinn." -Internationale Mathematische Nachrichten, April 2007 "...this is a fascinating look at the history of twentieth century mathematics by one of its most distinguished practitioners." -Gerry Leversha, St Paul's School, London, The Mathematical Gazette, November 2007 "Saunders Mac Lane was one of the most influencial mathematicians of the 20th century ... In his autobiography, Saunders reveals detials of his early life and education as well as those of the relationships that were so critical in the development of his career." -John MacDonald, CMS Notes, April 2008"

• Preface, Acknowledgments, Part One: Early Years, Part Two: First Teaching, Part Three: Collaborative Research, Part Four: The War Years, Part Five: Eilenberg and Mac Lane, Part Six: Harvard Years, Part Seven: Chicago in the Fifties, Part Eight: Mathematical Developments, Part Nine: National Academy of Science, Part Ten: The Sixties and Beyond, Part Eleven: National Science Policy, Part Twelve: Travels, Part Thirteen: Advising, Part Fourteen: Later Developments, Part Fifteen: Contemplating, Index