In search of mathematical treasures: David Eugene Smith and George Arthur Plimpton (Q1282316)

The story is described of G. A. Plimpton (1855-1936) and D. E. Smith's (1860-1944) collaboration and search for rare mathematical manuscripts and texts. After short biographies of both there is explained how a shared interest brought them together at the turn of the century. Plimpton worked in the New York office of the textbook publishing Ginn \& Company and was its longtime president. Smith was a professor of mathematics in the Teachers College of Columbia University. The collaboration of the collector and the expert was soon extended to close personal friendship. In the paper this is illustrated with a lot of excerpts of their correspondence. Smith's book Rara Arithmetica (1908) was primarily meant as a catalogue of the Plimpton collection. Plimpton's belief in Smith led to the donation of his entire mathematical collection to the Library at Columbia University. This Plimpton Collection contains, among others, the famous Babylonian clay tablet Plimpton 322.