Breaking news, November 1813 — Accused 'numbers' claim geometric alibi: A dramatic presentation celebrating Joseph Gergonne
Résumé
Joseph-Diez Gergonne provides an early model for the importance of the role of journal editor in filtering novel and valuable ideas, encouraging correspondence, mediating disputes, influencing research priorities, shaping disciplinary discourse, and negotiating disciplinary boundaries. A paper of J.-F. Français appeared in Gergonne's journal, Annales de mathématiques pures et appliquées, in 1813, on the idea of representing imaginary numbers geometrically. Gergonne placed the article and responses by himself and others in the ‘Philosophie Mathématique' section of his journal. We present, in the form of a dialogue between the participants, a paraphrase of the lively interchanges in the Annales, including Gergonne's copious editorial footnotes. The play is introduced, and a closing commentary given, by a historian of mathematics and a modern mathematics teacher in dialogue, providing historical and pedagogical context. Cameo appearances are made by historian Gert Schubring, John Wallis, Abraham De Moivre, Caspar Wessel, H. Valentiner, A.-M. Legendre, and the modern mathematician Barry Mazur.
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