Mathematical Treasure: Two Works of Heinrich Weber

Heinrich Weber (1842-1913) was a German mathematician and served as professor of mathematics at several universities, including the University of Heidelberg and the University of Königsberg. In 1891, Heinrich Weber published his Elliptische Functionen und Algebraische Zahlen. The contents of this book reflect some of the mathematical research concerns of the late nineteenth century.

The table of contents provides a summary of the topics discussed in the work.

In 1895, Weber published his best known book, Lehrbuch der Algebra in two volumes. This text was a pioneering effort in the transition of algebra from its traditional form to its “modern” focus on structure. The second volume was extended into a third volume which appeared in 1903. This is the title page for the first volume.

The contents of the first volume provides a sense of the algebraic activity of the late nineteenth century. Note mention of the concepts of “gruppe” and “Körper” – group and field.

The images above were obtained through the courtesy of the University of California Libraries. Both Elliptische Functionen und Algebraische Zahlen and Lehrbuch der Algebra may be viewed in their entirety in the Internet Archive.

Index to Mathematical Treasures