Adventures of a Mathematician - by S M Ulam (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The true story that inspired the 2020 film.

The autobiography of mathematician Stanislaw Ulam, one of the great scientific minds of the twentieth century, tells a story rich with amazingly prophetic speculations and peppered with lively anecdotes. As a member of the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1944 on, Ulam helped to precipitate some of the most dramatic changes of the postwar world. He was among the first to use and advocate computers for scientific research, originated ideas for the nuclear propulsion of space vehicles, and made fundamental contributions to many of today's most challenging mathematical projects.

With his wide-ranging interests, Ulam never emphasized the importance of his contributions to the research that resulted in the hydrogen bomb. Now Daniel Hirsch and William Mathews reveal the true story of Ulam's pivotal role in the making of the "Super," in their historical introduction to this behind-the-scenes look at the minds and ideas that ushered in the nuclear age. An epilogue by Françoise Ulam and Jan Mycielski sheds new light on Ulam's character and mathematical originality.

From the Back Cover

With his wide-ranging interests, Ulam never emphasized the importance of his contribution to the research that resulted in the hydrogen bomb. Now William Mathews and Daniel Hirsch reveal the true story of Ulam's pivotal role in the making of the 'Super, ' in their historical introduction to this behind-the-scenes look at the minds and ideas that ushered in the nuclear age.

Review Quotes

"Who invented the H‐bomb? Fermi? Oppenheimer? Teller? General Groves? No, it was a Polish mathematician named Stanislaw Ulam. To this day we don't know what came into Ulam's head because it's still top secret. The most he says about it in his autobiography is that it was an "iterative scheme" which modified a previous and unworkable plan of Teller's. Well--the "adventures" (even though they take place mostly under his hat) of a man who invented the H‐bomb are surely no less worth reading about than the adventures of the man who ordered the first atom bomb dropped on a city." -- "New York Times"

"A fascinating autobiography." -- "American Scholar"

"Stanislaw Marcin Ulam, the man who has written hundreds of mathematical treatises, writes the story of his life in a direct and simple way that reflects the concerns, interests, conflicts, loyalties and great warmth of a remarkable human being. The impact of his story, however, moves beyond biography to become an exciting affirmation of historical importance."-- "Polish Review"

"Ultimately, this is a book about mathematicians and their culture. It offers snapshots of some of the most important events in early to mid-twentieth century mathematics, written by an insider that speaks our language and knows the sort of gossip we [mathematicians] want to hear about."-- "Mathematical Association of America Blog"

"What Ulam tells us of his mind and his times is generally fascinating. He makes little effort to draw us into the mathematical content of his deep and varied work. He is, however, transparently honest, and he is effective in portraying his impatient, ironic and quizzical style, his ambitions, his estimates of others, his interests and his opinions with "a frankness and truthfulness which are sometimes a little strong but never really shocking." . . . Readers owe Ulam a debt for a book of reminiscent perceptions that have rarely been matched."-- "Scientific American"

About the Author

S. M. Ulam (1909-1984) was born in Poland and was a key member of the now legendary Polish School of Mathematics. In the United States from 1935 on, he received many academic appointments and honors and authored many articles, essays, and mathematical books, including Analogies between Analogies (California, 1990). Daniel Hirsch is President of the Committee to Bridge the Gap, located in Los Angeles. William G. Mathews is Professor of Astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Françoise Ulam is a resident of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Jan Mycielski is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Colorado.