From Circles to Singularities: Communication and Mathematical Practice in Mersenne’s Network

Cathérine Goldstein (Institut de mathématiques de Jussieu – Paris Rive Gauche)

23 November | 16:00-17:30 | Seminar Room 00.063, Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities

For several decades now, the social history of science has transformed our understanding of scientific development by opening up new areas of inquiry, such as the examination of the material conditions of observations, controversies, and textual genres, and by demonstrating their epistemological relevance to that development. In this presentation, focussed on Marin Mersenne’s mathematical circles, we would like to show how  a detailed study of the exchanges within a mathematical community can also help answer classic historical questions, such as those concerning the use and form of proofs or the selection of key mathematical problems, and resolve apparent contradictions in our portrayals of the most well-known figures, such as Pierre Fermat. Contrary to the still-widespread notion that social history can ultimately account only for the “average person,” analyzing communications within a scientific community, particularly in the early-modern period when these communications often define our very sources, is, on the contrary, necessary for identifying the unique positions of the participants and situating their respective contributions.

Catherine Goldstein is directrice de recherche emerita at the CNRS and is based at the Institut de mathématiques de Jussieu-Paris Gauche in Paris (France). Her work focusses on the history of number theory, the social history of mathematical practices and knowledge, women in mathematics, and the use of network analysis to study collective and long-term aspects of the development of mathematics. Her recent publications include a co-edition of Ernest Coumet’s Œuvres (PUFC, 2019) and of a special issue on Charles Hermite (RHM, 2024) and several articles on Malebranche’s mathematical environment.