The shaping of the Riesz representation theorem: A chapter in the history of analysis (Q800332)

The paper is a deep, detailed and very interesting historical and philosophical analysis of the situation where the Riesz representation theorem was originated. It is emphasized that the aim of the essay is to enhance any attempt to understand the metamorphosis of this theorem from 1909 to the present, ''by an investigation of its pre-history from informal primitive stirrings in 1880 to maturation in 1909''. The author points out the influence of Weierstraß, Volterra, Pincherle, Bourlet, Hadamard, Fréchet etc. on Riesz's work. E.g., in his papers of 1887, Volterra has grasped and generalized the synthetic notion of function, considered the definitions and propositions of continuity, of the derivative etc., that was most relevant to Riesz's theorem. Similarly, Hadamard's and Fréchet's developing the functional analysis and an abstract methodology of postulationalism has played an important role in the way toward Riesz's result. Observing Riesz's abstract approach to concrete problems and influences of German-French mathematical schools on his method, the author gives some relevant fragments of Riesz's biography. The last part of the paper is related to the reception and influence of the Riesz theorem at the time immediately after its publishing. The bibliography contains 191 titles.