Abstract:
Although functions are fundamental mathematical objects, they weren’t
actually defined until 1673, by Leibniz. Since that time, the definition
has evolved in a variety of directions- occasionally false, as when Fourier
defined functions to be anything with a Fourier series. In this talk, we’ll
trace the development of the definition through history and then discuss
extending the notion of a function to a variety of branches of modern
mathematics. This talk will be very accessible and (hopefully) entertaining.
actually defined until 1673, by Leibniz. Since that time, the definition
has evolved in a variety of directions- occasionally false, as when Fourier
defined functions to be anything with a Fourier series. In this talk, we’ll
trace the development of the definition through history and then discuss
extending the notion of a function to a variety of branches of modern
mathematics. This talk will be very accessible and (hopefully) entertaining.