Skip to product information
Ramsey Theory

Ramsey Theory Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Sale price  $98.99 Regular price  $109.99

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns

Progress in Mathematics

Ramsey Theory

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Alexander Soifer

Mathematics / Discrete Mathematics

Ramsey theory is a relatively “new,” approximately 100 year-old direction of fascinating mathematical thought that touches on many classic fields of mathematics such as combinatorics, number theory, geometry, ergodic theory, topology, combinatorial geometry, set theory, and measure theory. Ramsey theory possesses its own unifying ideas, and some of its results are among the most beautiful theorems of mathematics. The underlying theme of Ramsey theory can be formulated as: any finite coloring of a large enough system contains a monochromatic subsystem of higher degree of organization than the system itself, or as T.S. Motzkin famously put it, absolute disorder is impossible. Ramsey Theory: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow explores the theory’s history, recent developments, and some promising future directions through invited surveys written by prominent researchers in the field. The first three surveys provide historical background on the subject; the last three address Euclidean Ramsey theory and related coloring problems. In addition, open problems posed throughout the volume and in the concluding open problem chapter will appeal to graduate students and mathematicians alike.

Alexander Soifer is a Russian born and educated American mathematician, a professor of mathematics at the University of Colorado, an author of some 200 articles on mathematics, history of mathematics, mathematics education, film reviews, etc. He is Senior Vice President of the World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions, which in 2006 awarded him The Paul Erdos Award. 26 years ago Soifer founded and has since chaired the Colorado Mathematical Olympiad, and served on both the USSR and USA Mathematical Olympiads committees. Soifer's Erdos number is 1.


Publication Date: 05 November 2010
Publisher: Birkhäuser Boston
Imprint: Birkhäuser
ISBN-13: 9780817680916
Format: Hardback
Page Count: 190

You may also like