Papers by Elena Marchisotto
History and Philosophy of Logic, 1993
In this paper we briefly expose a project which could be summed up as ‘doing justice to Mario Pie... more In this paper we briefly expose a project which could be summed up as ‘doing justice to Mario Pieri’. The main result of the project will be the publication of a book on him, in which we will mainly study his contributions to the foundations of geometry and translate into English his major contributions to the field
The American Mathematical Monthly
ion sets mathematicians free Of spatial limits and time's interludes. Abstraction lets them a... more ion sets mathematicians free Of spatial limits and time's interludes. Abstraction lets them add infinitudes To reach a still vaster infinity, To postulate points as transcendently Unreal as pixies in solemn moods, To fete a shadowy whole that includes The part which equals it resplendently. Creators of their own strange universe, Mathematicians can transcend the earth, Just as the spirit can transcend the flesh. More liltingly than Irishmen speak Erse, Their image sing of the lyric birth Of paradoxes woven in a mesh.
We are all familiar with the traditional presentation of the Fibonacci sequence in classes design... more We are all familiar with the traditional presentation of the Fibonacci sequence in classes designed for liberal arts majors. We "wow" the students with pinecones and pineapples! We talk to them about the wondrous "appearance" of Fibonacci numbers in their world. But can we use Fibonacci to bring these students into our world? Is it possible for liberal arts majors to appreciate mathematics—apart from applications of the subject in art, nature, and other areas? Can we develop courses that instill in students a sense of excitement about making connections in mathematics, given the attitudes toward our subject that many of them bring to class? As Lynn Arthur Steen says: "For students in the arts and humanities, mathematics is an invisible culture—feared, avoided, and consequently misunderstood" (3). Designing requisite mathematics courses for liberal arts students is difficult. In attempting to give them a sense of mathematics, we often resort to overstres...
Historia mathematica, 1993
Mario Pieri (1860-1913) was an Italian mathematician who made significant contributions to algebr... more Mario Pieri (1860-1913) was an Italian mathematician who made significant contributions to algebraic geometry and the foundations of mathematics. Nevertheless, his research is not as well known today as it might be, in part because it was overshadowed by that of more famous contemporaries, notably David Hilbert and Giuseppe Peano. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of Pieri's principal results in mathematics. After presenting a biographical sketch of his life, it surveys his research, contrasting the reception of his work in algebraic geometry with that in foundations. Possible reasons for the relative obscurity of his work in foundations are explored, and an annotated list of Pieri's publications is included at the end of the article. Mario Pieri (1860-1913) era uno matematico Italiano che ha fatto contribuzioni significanti alla Geometria Algebrica e alle fondamenta della Matematica. Pertanto, la Sua ricerca non ~ cosi noto come dovrebbe essere, in parte perch~ ~ stata ombreggiata da quella di contemporanei piO famosi, notevolmente David Hilbert e Giuseppe Peano. Lo scopo di quest'articolo ~ di provvedere un compendio dei resulti principali di Pieri in Matematica. Dopo aver presentato uno schizzo biografico, seguono osservazioni sulla Sua ricerca, e quindi contrasti fra come ~ stato ricevuto il Suo lavoro in Geometria Algebrica con quello in fondamenta. Le ragioni possibili per la relativa oscurit~ del Suo lavoro in fondamenta sono esplorate, e un'elenco annotato delle pubblicazioni di Pied ~ incluso alia fine dell'articolo. Mario Pieri (1860-1913) war ein Italienischer Mathematiker, der bedeutende Beitr~ige zur algebraischen Geometric und zu den Grundlagen der Mathematik verfalSte. Dennoch ist sein Werk nicht so wohlbekannt, wie es sein sollte, teilweise weil es von jenem beriihmterer Zeitgenossen iiberschattet wurde, insbesondere von David Hilbert und Giuseppe Peano. Der vorliegende Aufsatz m6chte eine l~Ibersicht fiber Pieris mathematische Hauptergebnisse liefern. Nach einer kurzen biographischen Skizze gibt er einen AbriB von Pieris Forschungen, wobei er die Rezeption der Arbeiten zur algebraischen Geometric derjenigen zu den Grundlagen gegeniiberstellt. M6gliche Griinde fiir die ziemliche Unbekanntheit seiner Arbeiten zu den Grundlagen werden er6rtert. Ein kommentiertes Verzeichnis yon Pieris Ver6ffentlichungen beschliel3t den Aufsatz.
Humanistic Mathematics Network journal, 1992
Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal
Anneli was a beloved friend and mentor. I first met her when I was studying for my Ph.D. at New Y... more Anneli was a beloved friend and mentor. I first met her when I was studying for my Ph.D. at New York University in the 1980's. I was fortunate that she agreed to be my thesis advisor, and I benefited from her interest in my research-then and thereafter. I know I speak for many when I say that my mathematical life was deeply enriched by countless stimulating conversations with her. Her view of mathematics profoundly influenced my approach to the subject as well as how I teach it. She made me ever-conscious of connections with analysis in my investigations of geometry. She taught me how to capture the imagination of students, encouraging them to experience the rewards of doing mathematics. Her mathematical company for 20 years empowered me to make the transition from being her student to being her colleague.
Journal of Humanistic Mathematics
Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal, 1992
Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal, 1999
Anneli was a beloved friend and mentor. I first met her when I was studying for my Ph.D. at New Y... more Anneli was a beloved friend and mentor. I first met her when I was studying for my Ph.D. at New York University in the 1980's. I was fortunate that she agreed to be my thesis advisor, and I benefited from her interest in my research-then and thereafter. I know I speak for many when I say that my mathematical life was deeply enriched by countless stimulating conversations with her. Her view of mathematics profoundly influenced my approach to the subject as well as how I teach it. She made me ever-conscious of connections with analysis in my investigations of geometry. She taught me how to capture the imagination of students, encouraging them to experience the rewards of doing mathematics. Her mathematical company for 20 years empowered me to make the transition from being her student to being her colleague.
ABSTRACT This is a Chinese edition of The Mathematical Experience Study Edition
ABSTRACT: This is a reprint of the 1995 edition [Zbl 0837.00001] of a well-known and popular text... more ABSTRACT: This is a reprint of the 1995 edition [Zbl 0837.00001] of a well-known and popular text. In a new edition, each of the authors added a brief essay in the end. Philip J. Davis listed a number of new applications of mathematics (search engines, bioinformatics, computer vision, computational finance, etc.) that have become prominent since the appearance of The Mathematical Experience. In the Philosophical Afterword, Reuben Hersh briefly commented on a few famous instances in the last few decades that are directly related to topics in the book. These are Wile’s proof of Fermat’s last theorem, Perelman’s proof of the Poincaré conjecture, wavelets as a generalization of Fourier analysis, fractals as a new kind of non-Euclidean geometry, and random matrices in connection with the Riemann hypothesis. Finally, in the Pedagogical Afterword, Elena Anne Corie Marchisotto commented on the twenty five years of the use of the study edition both in lower and upper division general educati...
This article is intended to present a brief synopsis of the panorama of Mario Pieri's mathematica... more This article is intended to present a brief synopsis of the panorama of Mario Pieri's mathematical research and the legacy he has left for today's scholars. It also focuses on Pieri's concern for mathematics education, and in particular, with how he dealt with the tension between his demand for rigor and his concern for students. Pieri the Man Mario Pieri was born in Lucca on June 22, 1860, just as Italy became unified. Pieri's mother was Erminia Luporini. His father Pellegrino, a respected lawyer and scholar, belonged to an old family from Vellano, a village east of Lucca. Mario was the third of eight children of Erminia and Pellegrino, all born in Lucca. Pieri's life reflected his close ties with his family. During his first year of university study, Mario lived with his brother Silvio. After the death of his father, Mario cared for his mother and his sister Virginia. At age forty-one, Pieri married Angiolina Anastasio Janelli, the sister of Virginia's husband. They had no children. However, when Pieri's sister Gemma traveled to Brazil to join her husband Umberto Campetti, she left at least two of their sons, Pellegrino and Ottorino, with Pieri for several years. It is likely that Pieri was also caring for his mother during this time. Pieri completed elementary and technical school in Lucca. He loved both music and mathematics. As a young boy he was uncertain about which field to pursue. Once he made his choice, he excelled in his courses and earned
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Papers by Elena Marchisotto