Zur Entwicklung der zentralen Ideen in der Funktionalanalysis. (Development of the central ideas in functional analysis) (Q1078469)

This and a subsequent paper [ibid. 41, 49-57 (1986; review below)] concern the development of the central ideas of functional analysis. The periodicity problem of history is dealt with by subdividing the whole evolution into three periods, namely, prehistory, a transition period (1887-1906) characterized by the investigation of truly functional- analytic problems by ''classical'' methods) and the period of the establishment of functional analysis as a field of its own (1906-32). The present paper deals with the first and second of these periods. Central in the prehistory are the development of the concept of function along with that of the calculus (Leibniz, 1684), the ideas resulting from Fourier series, the calculus of variations, potential theory (C. Neumann) and Cantor's set theory on R and \(R^ n\). The paper then shows how Volterra's work of 1887 on functionals initiates the transition period which includes ideas resulting from integral equations (Volterra, above all Fredholm, later Hilbert), axiomatics (Dedekind, Peano, Hilbert), functionals (Hadamard 1903) and measure (Lebesgue 1902). It is shown that at that point (around 1900) the development was still very heterogeneous.