Fatou, Julia, Montel,

Comment Fatou et Julia ont inventé ce que l'on appelle aujourd'hui les ensembles de Julia, avant, pendant et après la première guerre mondiale? L'histoire est racontée, avec ses mathématiques, ses conflits, ses personnalités. Elle est traitée à partir de sources nouvelles, et avec rigueur. On pourra s'y initier à l'itération des fractions rationnelles et à la dynamique complexe (ensembles de Julia, de Mandelbrot, ensembles-limites). Qui étaient Pierre Fatou, Gaston Julia, Paul Montel? On y trouvera en particulier des informations sur un mathématicien mal connu, Pierre Fatou. On découvrira aussi quelques incidences de la blessure reçue par Julia pendant la guerre sur la vie mathématique en France au vingtième siècle.

How did Pierre Fatou and Gaston Julia create what we now call Complex Dynamics, in the context of the early twentieth century and especially of the First World War? The book is based partly on new, unpublished sources.Who were Pierre Fatou, Gaston Julia, Paul Montel? New biographical information is given on the little known mathematician that was Pierre Fatou. How did the serious injury of Julia during WWI influence mathematical life in France?

From the reviews:

"Audin's book is indeed filled with marvelous biographical information and analysis, dealing not just with the men mentioned in the book's title but a large number of other players, too . the book under review addresses itself to scholars for whom the history of mathematics has a particular resonance and especially to mathematicians active, or even with merely an interest in, complex dynamics. presents it all to the reader in a very appealing form." (Michael Berg, The Mathematical Association of America, October, 2009)

Audin's book, written by a mathematician is a valuable contribution to the historiography of mathematics in France, including the time of Nazi occupation. (Reinhard Siegmund-Schultze, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1179, 2010)

Audin draws the portraits, the environment and does it with her own views, her feelings, and her passion for mathematics and for the truth. Even specialists in the field will find something new in the book, and nonspecialists will have an excellent introduction to modern complex dynamics. For many readers, as for myself, the fact that the author is present on every page with a remark, a comment, and sometimes a mockery, will make it more pleasant and easy to read. (Jean-Pierre Kahane, The Mathematical Intelligences, Vol. 33 (3), September, 2011)

This book is a history of important mathematical developments during a turbulent time. provides a blow-by-blow description of developments in the mathematical world between 1915 and 1918, as the war took its course, and follows it up with a discussion of progress in holomorphic dynamics (as well as continued mathematical disputes) until 1965. is carefully documented, and provides many details about the lives and personalities of the protagonists. I recommend it highly. (John Willard Milnor, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2011 e)

Auteur

Michèle Audin is professor at Strasbourg (Université Louis Pasteur). She uses to lecture on geometry all university levels, but also happens to teach various topics, such as complex analysis, Galois theory or algebraic topology.

As a researcher, she is a specialist of symplectic geometry, a subject on which she has published research articles and a few books, especially on spinning tops and integrable systems.

Texte du rabat

Comment Fatou et Julia ont inventé ce que l'on appelle aujourd'hui les ensembles de Julia, avant, pendant et après la première guerre mondiale? L'histoire est racontée, avec ses mathématiques, ses conflits, ses personnalités. Elle est traitée à partir de sources nouvelles, et avec rigueur. On pourra s'y initier à l'itération des fractions rationnelles et à la dynamique complexe (ensembles de Julia, de Mandelbrot, ensembles-limites). Qui étaient Pierre Fatou, Gaston Julia, Paul Montel? On y trouvera en particulier des informations sur un mathématicien mal connu, Pierre Fatou. On découvrira aussi quelques incidences de la blessure reçue par Julia pendant la guerre sur la vie mathématique en France au vingtième siècle.

How did Pierre Fatou and Gaston Julia create what we call Complex dynamics, in the context of the beginning of the twentieth century and especially of the first World War? The book is based partly on new, unpublished sources.Who were Pierre Fatou, Gaston Julia, Paul Montel? New biographical indications on Fatou are given. How did the injury of Julia during the first World War influence the mathematical life in France?

Contenu
Le Grand Prix, le cadre.- Le Grand Prix des Sciences Math#x00E9;matiques.- Les m#x00E9;moires.- Suites de l#x0027;it#x00E9;ration.- Sur Pierre Fatou.- Cicatrices de l#x2019;histoire #x2014; Une pol#x00E9;mique en 1965.