The mystery of space : $b a study of the hyperspace movement in the light of the evolution of new psychic faculties and an inquiry into the genesis and essential nature of spaceBrowne, Robert T.
Religion
The mystery of space : $b a study of the hyperspace movement in the light of the evolution of new psychic faculties and an inquiry into the genesis and essential nature of space
Browne, Robert T.
Hyperspace
His differentiation between space in general and space which may be
considered as the "boundary of another space" shows, in the light of
the subsequent developments of the mathematical idea of space that
he very fully appreciated the marvelous scope of analytic spaces. His
conception of space, therefore, must have had a profound influence
upon the mathematic thought of the day causing it to undergo a rapid
reconstruction at the hands of geometers who came after him.
Under the masterly influence of LA GRANGE (1736-1813) the idea of
different spaces began to take definite shape and direction; the
geometry of hyperspace began to crystallize; and the field of mathesis
prepared for the growth of a conception the comprehension of which
was destined to be the profoundest undertaking ever attempted by the
human mind. Unlike most great men whom the world learns tardily to
admire, LA GRANGE lived to see his talents and genius fully recognized
by his compeers; for he was the recipient of many honors both from his
countrymen and his admirers in foreign lands. He spent twenty years in
Prussia where he went upon the invitation of FREDERICK the Great who in
the Royal summons referred to himself as the "greatest king in Europe"
and to LA GRANGE as the "greatest mathematician" in Europe. In Prussia
the _Mecanique Analytique_ and a long series of memoirs which were
published in the Berlin and Turin Transactions were produced. LA GRANGE
did not exhibit any marked taste for mathematics until he was 17 years
of age. Soon thereafter he came into possession of a memoir by HALLEY
quite by accident and this so aroused his latent genius that within one
year after he had reviewed HALLEY'S memoir he became an accomplished
mathematician.
He created the calculus of variations, solved most of the problems
proposed by Fermat, adding a number of theorems of his own contrivance;
raised the theory of differential equations to the position of a
science rather than a series of ingenious methods for the solution
of special problems and furnished a solution for the famous
isoperimetrical problem which had baffled the skill of the foremost
mathematicians for nearly half a century. All these stupendous tasks he
performed by the time he reached the age of nineteen.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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