Structural Stability and Morphogenesis

Fülszöveg

STRUCTURAL STABILITY AND MORPHOGENESIS
An Outline of a General Theory of Models by René Thom
Translated by D.H. Fowler from the French édition, updated by the author
René Thom
!s one of today's leading mathematicians whose interests transcend the world of numbers. His principal fields of concern include not only algebraic topology and differential topology, but also catastrophe theory and its applications, biology (dynamic scheme for vertebrate embryology), linguistics and semantics, and topology and linguistics. Outstanding work in topology and related areas earned for him the Fields Medal (1958), and the L. J. Brouwer Medal, conferred by the Academy of Sciences of the Netherlands (1970). France honored Thom with the Grand Prix Scientifique de la Ville deB Paris (1974), and with spécial citations awarded by the Academy of Sciences, Paris. Professor Thom is a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Brazil and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of... Tovább

Fülszöveg

STRUCTURAL STABILITY AND MORPHOGENESIS
An Outline of a General Theory of Models by René Thom
Translated by D.H. Fowler from the French édition, updated by the author
René Thom
!s one of today's leading mathematicians whose interests transcend the world of numbers. His principal fields of concern include not only algebraic topology and differential topology, but also catastrophe theory and its applications, biology (dynamic scheme for vertebrate embryology), linguistics and semantics, and topology and linguistics. Outstanding work in topology and related areas earned for him the Fields Medal (1958), and the L. J. Brouwer Medal, conferred by the Academy of Sciences of the Netherlands (1970). France honored Thom with the Grand Prix Scientifique de la Ville deB Paris (1974), and with spécial citations awarded by the Academy of Sciences, Paris. Professor Thom is a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Brazil and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Warwick (1970).
The author served as "maître de conférences" at the Universities of Grenoble and Strasbourg, and held a professorship at the latter university from 1957 to 1963. Since 1963, Professor Thom has been a member of the Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques at Bures-sur-Yvette.
Professor Thom is also the author .of a paperback, "Modeles mathématiques de la morphogénese."
Review of Stabilité structurelle et morphogénese* "It is impossible to give a brief description of the impact of this book. In one sense the only book with which it can be compared is Newton's Principia. Both lay out a new conceptual framework for the understanding of nature, and equally both go on to unbounded spéculation. From Newton's book, as Truesdell says, 'our forebears learned how to use the concept of force given a priori'; and there can be no doubt that from Thom's will come an élaboration which will allow our children to use more precisely the concept of catastrophe that he introduces. Almost ail of the spéculation in the Principia has turned out to be hopelessly wrong, though it would be hard to say to what extent this prevented its being useful at the time. So the criterion for Thom's spéculative applications must come from their stimulating character, without trying to prejudge their correctness.
"An English translation is promised . . . but the reader is advised not to wait so long to acquaint himself with a major intellectual advance of the century."
C.W. Kilmister, The Times Higher Education Supplément Vissza