Mathematician Chosen
"Man of the Century"

In its December 24/25, 1999 issue, Financial Times (http://www.ft.com) published an article by Peter Martin on the mathematician John von Neumann (1903-1957) under the heading "Man of the Century." In this article, entitled "Architect of the Computer Age," Martin states that "von Neumann's contributions . . . to mathematical theory, to the atom bomb project, to the creation of the computer, to cold war missile strategy, and to economics . . . reflect the tenor of the times, the brash mid-century belief in the power of reason to harness and tame the physical world."

More information about the life of John von Neumann can be found in the book John von Neumann: The Scientific Genius who Pioneered the Modern Computer, Game Theory, Nuclear Deterrence, and Much More, by Norman Macrae, recently reprinted by the American Mathematical Society (http://www.ams.org).

A more mathematical discussion of von Neumann's life and work can be found in The Legacy of John von Neumann, edited by J. Glimm, J. Impagliazzo and I. Singer, also published by the American Mathematical Society.