Who Linked Hegel’s Philosophy with the History of Mathematics?

Abstract

Standard histories of mathematics are filled with names, dates, and results, but seldom do we find much attention paid to the contexts in which mathematics was made or past achievements recorded. Yet by widening the net, one can easily retrieve many interesting examples that reveal how mathematicians thought about these matters and much else besides. This column deals with one such person – whose identity readers are hereby challenged to uncover – in order to illustrate in a particularly striking way the potential confluence of mathematical and philosophical ideas. The sources to which I allude below are all in print and readily accessible, so I have reason to hope that these hints will lead readers fairly quickly in the right direction. A reading knowledge of German and at least some tolerance for German philosophical prose will prove useful aids in this endeavor. Those who wish not only to answer the query above, but also to add their own reflections to mine, are invited to forward such musings directly to me.