Book Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Mark Kac, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thomson Gale. The length of the entry is 351 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Customer Reviews (1)

A Classic in Statistical Physics
The book contains too much on the topic of irreversibility from the Boltzmann standpoint to be of much interest today, excepting one chapter: the one by Kac on functional integration and partial differential equations. Here, Kac makes Feynman's connection rigorous for the case of a Wiener process (Brownian motion) and presents the 'Feynman-Kac formula' that so many financial math texts now rave about without pushing the boundaries further mathematically to do something useful for empirical modelling in option pricing. For more in this direction, see Durrett's "Brownian Motion and Martingales in Analysis" and the final chapter in Steele's "Financial Calculus". See also papers by me now in preparation. ... Read more

Book Description
This is a volume of essays and reviews that delightfuly explore mathematics in all its moods - from the light and the witty, and humorous to serious, rational, and cerebral. Topics include: logic, combinatorics, statistics, economics, artifical intellligence, computer science, and applications of mathematics broadly. You will also find history and philosophy covered, including discussion of the work of Ulam, Kant, and Heidegger among others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An enlightening book on mathematics
This is an unusual book on the discipline of mathematics. Don't look here for the usual fluffy collages of fractals, chaos theory and hagiographies.

What this book offers is a collection of essays on the state and nature of mathematics by three top mathematicians. They're honestly worried about the schism between math and science, interested in the effect the computer could have on math, critical about the mathematical establishment. They're completely honest, and their criticisms are incisive and well reasoned. This book is food for thought, and not only about math.

The authors differ in their writing styles. While all three have good essays, Rota is a fantastic writer, and his mixture of serious thought, pith and gossip is completely refreshing. You should also read (before this book) Rota's "Indiscrete Thoughts". ... Read more

Book Description

"Mathematicians, like Proust and everyone else, are at their best when writing about their first loveThey are among the very best we have; and their best is very good indeed.One approaches this book with high hopes. Happily, one is not disappointed."

Book Description
Integral geometry originated with problems on geometrical probability and convex bodies. Its later developments have proved to be useful in several fields ranging from pure mathematics (measure theory, continuous groups) to technical and applied disciplines (pattern recognition, stereology). The book is a systematic exposition of the theory and a compilation of the main results in the field. The volume can be used to complement courses on differential geometry, Lie groups, or probability or differential geometry. It is ideal both as a reference and for those wishing to enter the field. ... Read more