Jacques Hadamard (nonfiction): Difference between revisions
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[[File:Jacques_Hadamard.jpg|thumb|Jacques Hadamard.]]'''Jacques Salomon Hadamard''' ForMemRS ( | [[File:Jacques_Hadamard.jpg|thumb|Jacques Hadamard.]]'''Jacques Salomon Hadamard''' ForMemRS (8 December 1865 – 17 October 1963) was a French [[Mathematician (nonfiction)|mathematician]] who made major contributions in number theory, complex function theory, differential geometry and partial differential equations. | ||
In his book ''Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field'', Hadamard uses introspection to describe mathematical thought processes. In sharp contrast to authors who identify language and cognition, he describes his own mathematical thinking as largely wordless, often accompanied by mental images that represent the entire solution to a problem. He surveyed 100 of the leading physicists of the day (approximately 1900), asking them how they did their work. | In his book ''Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field'', Hadamard uses introspection to describe mathematical thought processes. In sharp contrast to authors who identify language and cognition, he describes his own mathematical thinking as largely wordless, often accompanied by mental images that represent the entire solution to a problem. He surveyed 100 of the leading physicists of the day (approximately 1900), asking them how they did their work. | ||
Revision as of 13:54, 23 December 2016
Jacques Salomon Hadamard ForMemRS (8 December 1865 – 17 October 1963) was a French mathematician who made major contributions in number theory, complex function theory, differential geometry and partial differential equations.
In his book Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field, Hadamard uses introspection to describe mathematical thought processes. In sharp contrast to authors who identify language and cognition, he describes his own mathematical thinking as largely wordless, often accompanied by mental images that represent the entire solution to a problem. He surveyed 100 of the leading physicists of the day (approximately 1900), asking them how they did their work.
Hadamard described the experiences of the mathematicians/theoretical physicists Carl Friedrich Gauss, Hermann von Helmholtz, Henri Poincaré and others as viewing entire solutions with "sudden spontaneousness".
Hadamard described the process as having four steps of the five-step Graham Wallas creative process model, with the first three also having been put forth by Helmholtz: Preparation, Incubation, Illumination, and Verification.
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External links:
- Jacques Hadamard @ Wikipedia