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Creation/Representation/Transmission: Culture and/of Mathematicians’ Autobiographies

In: Imagine Math 7

Author

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  • Odile Chatirichvili

    (Université Grenoble Alpes, UMR Litt&Arts - ISA)

Abstract

In this paper, I analyze the potential roles of autobiographies written by mathematicians in the building of a “mathematical culture” or a “culture of mathematics” among readers both inside and outside the mathematical community. Using a corpus of six life stories written by American and French mathematicians (especially E. Frenkel and L. Schwartz, and to a lesser extent Y. Choquet-Bruhat, A. Grothendieck, B. Mandelbrot, and N. Wiener) between 1964 and 2013, I focus on how mathematicians intend to reflect a certain self-image distinct from stereotyped representations while representing themselves as individuals and as academics. Through this embodiment, autobiographical texts achieve a work of science popularization, insofar as they are likely to turn research into a narration which transmits a specific image of math, even to a lay reader. They are especially doing so by describing the processes of mathematical thoughts and by finding creative ways to expose mathematical content.

Suggested Citation

  • Odile Chatirichvili, 2020. "Creation/Representation/Transmission: Culture and/of Mathematicians’ Autobiographies," Springer Books, in: Michele Emmer & Marco Abate (ed.), Imagine Math 7, pages 333-346, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-030-42653-8_20
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-42653-8_20
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