Who gave you the Cauchy-Weierstrass tale? The dual history of rigorous calculus

DOI10.1007/S10699-011-9235-XMaRDI QIDQ351452zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Mikhail G. Katz, Alexandre V. Borovik

Publication date 11 July 2013

Published in Foundations of Science (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1108.2885

zbMATH Keywords

convergencecontinuitycontinuumlimitsCauchyultraproductWeierstrassDirac functiontransfer principleBernoulliinfinitesimal\(\varepsilon\)-\(\delta\) techniquesArchimedean axiomdu Bois-ReymondepsilonticsFelix Kleinfoundations of analysishyperrealsStolzsum theorem

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

History of mathematics in the 19th century (01A55) History of real functions (26-03) Continuity and related questions (modulus of continuity, semicontinuity, discontinuities, etc.) for real functions in one variable (26A15) Differentiation (real functions of one variable): general theory, generalized derivatives, mean value theorems (26A24)

Abstract: Cauchy's contribution to the foundations of analysis is often viewed through the lens of developments that occurred some decades later, namely the formalisation of analysis on the basis of the epsilon-delta doctrine in the context of an Archimedean continuum. What does one see if one refrains from viewing Cauchy as if he had read Weierstrass already? One sees, with Felix Klein, a parallel thread for the development of analysis, in the context of an infinitesimal-enriched continuum. One sees, with Emile Borel, the seeds of the theory of rates of growth of functions as developed by Paul du Bois-Reymond. One sees, with E. G. Bjorling, an infinitesimal definition of the criterion of uniform convergence. Cauchy's foundational stance is hereby reconsidered.

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• On the Historical Development of Infinitesimal Mathematics
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• On history of epsilontics
• A guide to Cauchy's calculus. A translation and analysis of \textit{Calcul infinitésimal}

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