Books by Alexander Soifer

Bartel Leendert van der Waerden made major contributions to algebraic geometry, abstract algebra, quantum mechanics, and other fields. He liberally published on the history of mathematics. His 2-volume work Modern Algebra is one of the most influential and popular mathematical books ever written. It is therefore surprising that no monograph has been dedicated to his life and work. Van der Waerden's record is complex. In attempting to understand his life, the author assembled thousands of documents from numerous archives in Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States which revealed fascinating and often surprising new information about van der Waerden. Soifer traces Van der Waerden's early years in a family of great Dutch public servants, his life as professor in Leipzig during the entire Nazi period, and his personal and professional friendship with one of the great physicists Werner Heisenberg. We encounter heroes and villains and a much more numerous group in between these two extremes. One of them is the subject of this book. Soifer's journey through a long list of archives, combined with an intensive correspondence, had uncovered numerous details of Van der Waerden's German intermezzo that raised serious questions and reproaches. Dirk van Dalen (Philosophy, Utrecht University)Professor Soifer's book implicates the anthropologists' and culture historians' core interest in the evolution of culture and in the progress of human evolution itself on this small contested planet. James W. Fernandez (Anthropology, University of Chicago)The book is fascinating. Professor Soifer has done a great service to the discipline of history, as well as deepening our understanding of the 20th century. Peter D. Johnson, Jr. (Mathematics, Auburn University)This book is an important contribution to the history of the twentieth century, and reads like a novel with an ever-fascinating cast of characters. Harold W. Kuhn (Mathematics, Princeton University)This is a most impressive and important book. It is written in an engaging, very personal style and challenges the reader's ability of moral and historical judgment. While it is not always written in the style of 'objective' professional historiography, it satisfies very high standards of scholarly documentation. Indeed the book contains a wealth of source material that allows the reader to form a highly detailed picture of the events and personalities discussed in the book. As an exemplar of historical writing in a broader sense it can compete with any other historical book.Moritz Epple (History of Mathematics, Frankfurt University)

Various elementary techniques for solving problems in algebra, geometry, and combinatorics are explored in this second edition of Mathematics as Problem Solving.

This book covers the Ramsey Theory, from its history to its famous problems. It also offers studies of Issai Schur, Pierre Joseph, Henry Baudet, and B.L. van der Waerden, incorporating photos and correspondence never before published.

Suitable for students interested in pursuing mathematics, this book outlines an introduction to graph theory and combinatorics while exploring topics such as the Pigeonhole Principle, and theorems of Helly and Szokefalvi-Nagy. It introduces these ideas with applications with an aim to prepare young readers for the mathematical world.

This second edition of Alexander Soifer's How Does One Cut a Triangle? demonstrates how different areas of mathematics can be juxtaposed in the solution of a given problem. The author employs geometry, algebra, trigonometry, linear algebra, and rings to develop a miniature model of mathematical research.