Questions in the Historiography of Modern Mathematics: Documentation and the Use of Primary Sources [Abstract]

Abstract

Documentation and the use of primary sources play an important role in the history of mathematics, since they provide the means for any critical study in the field. As can be seen from numerous examples, historical developments are seldom as straightforward and logical as many theoretically oriented historians and philosophers of science like to pretend. The precise historical development can rarely be reconstructed by purely intellectual means, since influences from outside the field, and even mere accidents, sometimes play an important role. In order to determine the significant and decisive factors and to avoid false conclusions, it is therefore essential to undertake an extensive evaluation of primary and secondary sources.