Mathematics in the Physical Sciences, 1650-2000

The workshop was organised by Niccolò Guicciardini (Siena), Tinne Hoff Kjeldsen (Roskilde), and David Rowe (Mainz). During the five days of the conference 25 talks were given and one special evening lecture was organised. The organizers developed the idea for this meeting in consultation with several other colleagues who attended the conference on early modern mathematics held in Oberwolfach January 5–11, 2003. That meeting brought together historians with considerable expertise on developments outside pure mathematics. Afterwards there was a general consensus among the participants that this format had produced fruitful interactions and some promising new perspectives. The idea behind the present workshop called for a similar, open-ended framework, but covering a broader expanse of time reaching far into the twentieth century. By focusing on the interplay between mathematics and the physical sciences the aim was to gain an insight into developments that had a crucial impact on modern mathematics. This was achieved by inviting experts on the role of mathematics in the physical sciences who were able to approach this subject from a variety of different perspectives. The speakers addressed major developments relating to the overall theme of the conference which focused on thematic issues structured around three time periods: 1650-1800, 1800-1920, and 1920 up to recent times. Three particular topics emerged as central themes of interest: The workshop brought together the core community of historians of mathematics, many of whom have attended past meetings in Oberwolfach, along with a number of historians and philosophers of science with strong interests in mathematical issues. The meeting was characterized by open discussions which, together with the talks, shed more light on the interplay between mathematics and the physical sciences and gave new insights into developments that had a crucial impact on the development of modern mathematics. The organizers and participants thank the “Mathematisches Forschungsinstitut Oberwolfach” for making the workshop possible in the usual comfortable and inspiring setting.