Mac Lane, Saunders

Mac Lane, Saunders
▪ 2006

      American mathematician (b. Aug. 4, 1909, Taftville, Conn.—d. April 14, 2005, San Francisco, Calif.), made significant contributions to modern algebra and topology and, with Samuel Eilenberg, was a cofounder of category theory, which established a general framework for understanding how mathematical structures, and systems of structures, relate to one another. After graduating (1930) from Yale University, Mac Lane earned (1931) a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Chicago. He moved to the University of Göttingen, Ger., where he studied under Paul Bernays, Emmy Noether, and Hermann Weyl. In 1933 Mac Lane was awarded a Ph.D. for a thesis on mathematical logic. Returning to the U.S., Mac Lane taught at Yale, Harvard University, the University of Chicago, and Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., before returning to Harvard, where he taught until 1946. In 1947 he moved to Chicago, where he spent the remainder of his career, serving (1952–58) as chairman of the mathematics department. In 1982 he became professor emeritus. While Mac Lane was at Harvard, his interest shifted from logic to the modern, abstract algebra developed by Noether and others. In 1941 Mac Lane and Garrett Birkhoff published A Survey of Modern Algebra, for many years the leading English-language textbook in the field. While conducting research in homological algebra (an algebraic study of topological spaces), Mac Lane and Eilenberg, later of Columbia University, New York City, felt the need for a general theory for moving between domains of mathematics. This led to their creation of category theory, which was later applied in many areas of mathematics, computer science, and theoretical physics. Among Mac Lane's publications were Homology (1963), Algebra (1967; with Birkhoff), Categories for the Working Mathematician (1971), and Mathematics, Form and Function (1986). In 1989 Mac Lane was awarded the National Medal of Science.

* * *

▪ American mathematician
born August 4, 1909, Taftville, Connecticut, U.S.
died April 14, 2005, San Francisco, California

      American mathematician who was a cocreator of category theory (mathematics, foundations of), an architect of homological algebra, and an advocate of categorical foundations for mathematics (mathematics, foundations of).

      Mac Lane graduated from Yale University in 1930 and then began graduate work at the University of Chicago. He soon moved to Germany, where he, with a dissertation on mathematical logic (logic), received a doctorate degree in 1933 from the University of Göttingen. While in Germany, he stayed in the homes of Hermann Weyl (Weyl, Hermann) and Richard Courant (Courant, Richard), and he saw his dissertation adviser Paul Bernays (Bernays, Paul Isaak) barred from teaching by the Nazis. Mac Lane returned home and taught at various universities before settling permanently at the University of Chicago in 1947.

      About 1940 Mac Lane made some purely algebraic calculations in group theory, and the Polish American mathematician Samuel Eilenberg noticed that they applied to the topology of infinitely coiled curves called solenoids. To understand and generalize this link between algebra and topology, the two men created category theory, the general cohomology of groups, and the basis for the Eilenberg-Steenrod axioms for homology of topological spaces (topological space). Mac Lane worked with categorical duality and defined categorical universal properties. He defined and named Abelian categories, further developed by Alexandre Grothendieck (Grothendieck, Alexandre) to become central to homological algebra.

      From the 1960s Mac Lane pursued aspects of category theory, including the work of the American mathematician F. William Lawvere on categorical foundations for mathematics. Mac Lane served as president of the Mathematical Association of America (1951–52), the American Philosophical Society (1968–71), and the American Mathematical Society (1973–74). He served as vice president of the National Academy of Sciences (1973–81). His works include A Survey of Modern Algebra (1941; with Garrett Birkhoff), Homology (1963), Categories for the Working Mathematician (1971), and Sheaves in Geometry and Logic: A First Introduction to Topos Theory (1992; with Ieke Moerdijk).

Colin McLarty
 

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Saunders Mac Lane — Nacimiento 4 de agosto de 1909 Taftville, Connecticut …   Wikipedia Español

  • Saunders Mac Lane — (* 4. August 1909 in Taftville, Connecticut; † 14. April 2005 in San Francisco, Kalifornien) war ein US amerikanischer Mathematiker. Er gilt zusammen mit Samuel Eilenberg als der Begründer der Kategorientheor …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mac Lane — McLane, MacLane oder Mac Lane ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Barton MacLane (1902–1969), US amerikanischer Schauspieler James McLane (* 1930), US amerikanischer Schwimmer Louis McLane (1786–1856), US amerikanischer Politiker Robert… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Saunders Mac Lane — (4 August 1909, Taftville, Connecticut – 14 April 2005, San Francisco) was an American mathematician who cofounded category theory with Samuel Eilenberg.CareerMac Lane was christened Leslie Saunders MacLane , but Leslie fell into disuse because… …   Wikipedia

  • Saunders Mac Lane — Saunders MacLane. Saunders MacLane (4 août 1909 14 avril 2005) est un mathématicien américain. Ses travaux portent principalement sur la logique et la topologie algébrique. Il est l un des créateurs de la théorie des catégories et l auteur de l… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mac Lane's planarity criterion — In graph theory, Mac Lane s planarity criterion is a characterisation of planar graphs in terms of their cycle spaces. It states that a finite graph G is planar if and only if the cycle space C ( G ), which in topologists terms is the space of 1… …   Wikipedia

  • Saunders MacLane — Saunders Mac Lane Saunders Mac Lane (* 4. August 1909 in Taftville, Connecticut; † 14. April 2005 in San Francisco, Kalifornien) war ein US amerikanischer Mathematiker. Er gilt zusammen mit Samuel Eilenberg als der Begründer der Kategorientheorie …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Saunders MacLane — Saunders Mac Lane Saunders MacLane. Saunders MacLane (4 août 1909 14 avril 2005) est un mathématicien américain. Ses travaux portent principalement sur la logique et la topologie algébrique. Il est l un des créateurs de la théo …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Saunders MacLane — Saunders Mac Lane (4 de agosto de 1909, Taftville, Connecticut – 14 de abril de 2005, San Francisco) fue un matemático estadounidense cofundador con Samuel Eilenberg de la teoría de categorías Categorías: Nacidos en 1909Fallecidos en 2005 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Liste der Biografien/Mac — Biografien: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”