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In view of WMY 2000 and after the publication of DEVELOPMENT OF MATHEMATICS 1900 - 1950 (Birkhäuser, 1994) a group of mathematicians plan to produce a book outlining the evolution of mathematics during the second half of the present century.
We expect some forty articles, of about twenty pages each, to be written by outstanding mathemacians and to cover a wide range of mathematical areas. The editors will ultimately establish bridges between the various contributions in order to elucidate connections or provide supplementary bibliographical sources. We will also include some interviews of prominent mathematicians explaining their views on our science at the turn of the century. We intend to add data giving evidence of the changing aspects of mathematical activities. We will not avoid some remarks about the relations between mathematicians and the society they live in.
The book should allow the reader to become aware of striking and influential top results and to be informed about the state of affairs. It should stress the changes of ideas, viewpoints and motivations during the period 1950 - 2000.
The volume, due to be available already in 1998, will not reveal (as a kind of scoop two years ahead of the year 2000) the totality of mathematical achievements during the second half of the 20th century, but should serve as a basic and reliable reference for World Mathematical Year 2000.
Jean-Paul Pier,
Seminaire de mathematique,
Centre universitaire de Luxembourg,
162A, avenue de la Faiencerie,
L-1511 Luxembourg
e-mail : pier @ crpcu.lu