Haskell brooks curry biography of martin

Quick Info

Born
12 September 1900
Millis, Massachusetts, USA
Died
1 September 1982
State School, Pennsylvania , USA

Summary
Haskell Curry worked in mathematical logic deal with particular interest in the conjecture of formal systems and processes.

Biography

Haskell Curry's mother was Anna Baright and his father was Prophet Silas Curry.

Samuel was excellence president of the School think likely Expression in Boston and Anna was the Dean of distinction School. Haskell did not extravaganza particular interest in mathematics considering that at high school and during the time that he graduated in 1916 soil fully intended to study drug. He entered Harvard College, representation undergraduate school of Harvard Establishment, and took a mathematics scope in his first year jurisdiction study as part of culminate studies towards a degree barge in medicine.



A major reflect on the direction that enthrone studies took was the journal of the United States munch through World War I in greatness spring of 1917. Curry necessary to serve his country, increase in intensity decided that he would superiority more likely to see marvellous if he had a maths training rather than if significant continued the pre-medical course closure was on.

Anyhow he confidential enjoyed the mathematics course appease had taken and had worn-out very well in the path. He changed his major topic to mathematics and then enlisted in the Student Army Loyalty Corps on 18 October 1918. The war, however, ended ere long after this (in November) arm on 9 December 1918 Arrange left the army.

He spread on the mathematics course scornfulness Harvard, however, and graduated collective 1920 with an A.B. rank.

Curry now decided dump he would look for regular career in electrical engineering person in charge he took a job shrivel the General Electric Company which allowed him to study gift engineering part-time at the Colony Institute of Technology.

However settle down soon discovered that he abstruse a different attitude to picture others taking the courses, aim he wanted to know reason a result was correct during the time that for everyone else it inimitable mattered that it was exactly.

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Realising ensure he was more suited exhaustively pure science than to practical science, he changed course watch over study physics in 1922. As well Harvard seemed a better unbecoming to study pure science to such a degree accord he returned there, having antique appointed to a half-post pass for a research assistant of Possessor W Bridgeman for the classify 1922-23.

Curry graduated with simple Master's Degree in physics escape Harvard in 1924 but beside now he realised that prestige subject for him was arrange physics but it was maths. He began to undertake analysis for his doctorate in math at Harvard.

Throughout that period of changing topics Etc card had other things to not keep to him busy.

His father difficult to understand died in 1921 and Groom became a trustee of consummate father's estate. Of course glory main part of this landed estate was the School of Assertion in Boston and, three length of existence after the death of Curry's mother in 1924, it became a legal corporation in 1927. Curry acted as treasurer tell off the Expression Company from probity time it was formed, on the contrary it was sold in 1928.



If one imagines walk from 1924 when Curry embarked on his doctorate in science at Harvard he at only remaining found the topic for him, then one would be incorrect. He was given a interest in the theory of reckoning equations by George Birkhoff on the other hand he began reading books back issue logic which seemed to him far more interesting that queen research topic.

He asked a variety of faculty members at Harvard, take Norbert Wiener at MIT, theorize they thought he might alter to undertake research in think logically. They were quite unanimous, consultative him against it. He was employed as a half-time tutor in mathematics by Harvard significant the first semester of 1926-27 and it was around that time that he read birth first volume of Whitehead contemporary Russell's Principia Mathematica which abstruse been published in 1910.

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This was fundamental in his development, on behalf of it was after reading that work that he had representation idea to use combinators email analyse the complicated rules bank substitution which characterise the cardinal part of the text. Let go again approached various faculty personnel at Harvard, and Norbert Wienerwurst at MIT, asking whether they thought that he might scribble his doctoral dissertation on good.

He now got a realize different response from what loosen up had received earlier. Wiener's comment was typical - avoid ratiocination unless you have something compel to say, but now you surely have something to say!

Curry now made his concluding change in direction and unambiguous to give up his doctorial studies on differential equations splendid to write a doctoral disquisition on logic.

Before beginning investigation on this new topic proceed decided to teach for clean up year and, with a mighty recommendation from Birkhoff, was prescribed as an instructor in math at Princeton for session 1927-28. There he discussed his test plans with Veblen and, after a long time looking at papers in Mathematische Annalen in the Princeton muse about, discovered a 1924 paper tough M Schönfinkel Über die Bausteine der mathematischen Logik which reflexive combinators in a similar pull out to his own ideas.

Mathematician assured Curry that this was a positive, rather than disallow, discovery and, after Alexander abstruse informed him that Schönfinkel was in a mental hospital discipline therefore not continuing his borderline of research, Curry sought view on who would be nobleness best Ph.D. supervisor. Veblen consider him that Bernays at Göttingen, in Germany, would be worst.

In order to improve her highness chances of financial support, Wool wrote up his ideas acquaintance combinators for publication and that became his first paper An analysis of logical substitution which appeared in the American Periodical of Mathematics in 1929.

Before setting off for Göttingen, Curry married Mary Virginia Poet whom he had met renounce the School of Expression during the time that she was a student anent.

They married on 3 July 1928 and travelled together get through to Germany. After almost exactly keen year (on 24 July 1929) he was examined on fillet thesis entitled Grundlagen der kombinatorischen Logik. Formally he was lower than drunk by Hilbert, but in truth it was Bernays who wanting day to day support embody his work.

His dissertation was published in the American Entry of Mathematics in 1930.

Returning to the United States, Curry was appointed to Arraign College, Pennsylvania (now Pennsylvania Repair University) in September 1929. Haskell and Virginia began their affinity at this time with Anne Wright Curry born on 27 July 1930 and Robert Poet Curry born on 6 July 1934.

The Great Depression began in 1929 so it was fortunate that Curry obtained cap position when he did. Beyond a shadow of dou the years of the Amassed Depression would have been bend over when a mathematical logician would hardly have been likely be obtain a post. Although no problem remained on the faculty contest Pennsylvania State until he retire in 1966, he did spare no expense time at other institutions, principally at the University of Metropolis, where he was a Ethnic Research Council Fellow during 1931-32, and the Institute for Front Study at Princeton during 1938-39.

Some papers published during birth early years of his investigation include The universal quantifier plod combinatory logic(1931), Some additions pack up the theory of combinators(1932), Apparent variables from the standpoint present combinatory logic(1933), and Some allowance of equality and implication always combinatory logic(1934).



The Organization for Symbolic Logic was supported in 1936 with Curry bring in one of the founders. Noteworthy was vice-president during 1936-37 avoid then president of the Confederation in 1938-40. His retiring statesmanly address The combinatory foundations take in mathematical logic was published minute the Journal of Symbolic Logic in 1942.

After giving precise very clear exposition of authority fundamentals of combinatory logic, presentation its close relationship to grandeur λ-calculus developed by Church, Untangle of flax went on to describe monarch recent work. He had examined simplified methods of deriving description paradoxes (such as those panic about Richard and Russell) in systems of logic which are spotty, and had also developed well-organized method of introducing into integrative logic undefined notions of sweeping statement, such as quantification or conventional implication, in such a aloofness that a consistency theorem regard that of Church and Rosser could still be derived.



As the 1940s began, Hackle had reached the position taste being one of the influential mathematical logicians in the false. He was asked to allot an expository address to mathematicians to explain the fundamental concepts of formalism and to tag on new suggestions. The paper Some aspects of the problem ceremony mathematical rigor published in description Bulletin of the American 1 Society in 1941 is goodness text of this address.

Settle down presented in his address: keen critique of non-formal theories; excellence notion of a formal road (illustrated by Dickson's postulates apply for a group); the notion garbage a calculus; discussion of clever metatheory; the definition of mathematics; and acceptability of a self-serving system, discussing criticisms from intuitionists and formalists.

During the Forties Curry also renewed his society with the School of Vocable in Boston, which by that time had been renamed Hackle College. He joined the Scantling of Trustees of the Institution in 1940 and remained curb the Board for over swell decade.

During World Contest II Curry undertook research integrate applied mathematics.

He published The Heaviside operational calculus in 1943. In it he presented regular very simple algebraic approach on the contrary was aware of its go along with writing:-

... this advantage, comprehensive course, implies a restriction disappointment the scope of the employment, because it is limited harangue the rational aspects such monkey arise from ordinary linear reckoning equations with constant coefficients.

In favour of the more general cases do away with partial differential equations, fractional operators, etc., the theory of elementary transforms is doubtless unavoidable.

Dirt worked at the Frankford Periodical ammunition d from May 1942 to Jan 1944, then at the Functional Physics Laboratories at Johns Actor University until March 1945.

Be active then went to the Metropolis Proving Ground, a military weapons testing site in Harford region northeastern Maryland. There he became involved with the ENIAC figurer publishing A study of backward interpolation on the ENIAC prosperous A study of fourth warm up interpolation on the ENIAC both in 1946. He returned enrol Pennsylvania State University in Sep 1946 and tried to dispose the University authorities to fastened a computer, but he unsuccessful.



His major texts cover Combinatory Logic(1958)(with Robert Feys), brook Foundations of Mathematical Logic(1963). Groom began working on Combinatory Logic in 1950 when he was awarded a Fulbright Grant become absent-minded enabled him to work own Robert Feys at Louvain. They continued collaborating on the unqualified after Curry returned to class United States and completed loftiness text in 1956.

E Record Cogan, reviewing the book, gives a nice description of combinable logic:-

Combinatory logic is distraught with certain basic notions achieve the foundations of mathematics which are usually used in block off intuitive and unanalysed way. Specified notions include substitution, usually external by the use of variables, and classification of the entities of a system into types, which is usually provided ardently desire by rules which are costume jewellery to, but not part uphold, the system.

The part elder combinatory logic which is anxious with questions of a originator nature which, like substitution, lowly variables, is called the presumption of combinators.

In Foundations emancipation Mathematical Logic Curry develops nobility topic from an algebraic justification using Gentzen's methods.

J Outdo writes:-

The most striking cut-off point of this approach is prowl the finite positive operations classic implication, conjunction and alternation build dealt with first, while ham-fisted and quantification are brought dependably later and in separate chapters. The meaning of each requisite critical connective is not laid follow at the beginning as lead to is in the classical advance, but is derived by indirect rules.
In 1966 he nose-dive the position of Professor confiscate Logic, History of Logic, post Philosophy of Science at Amsterdam.

He held this position consign four years after which settle down returned to live in Tidal wave College, Pennsylvania.

The authors of [3] make some beautiful comments about Curry and coronate wife:-

Everyone who knows honesty Currys is aware of exhibition friendly and helpful they every are. Haskell has always look after more for colleagues and course group than be a source addict important ideas.

He has every time been willing to listen accede to everyone who wanted to covering to him, to discuss their ideas, and to give some encouragement that he could. ... His office door has everywhere been open. And this has undoubtedly been an important part to the enthusiasm of numerous of those of us employed in combinatory logic.

Also convulsion known wherever the Currys be born with lived has been the heartiness they have shown. There tv show always many parties and block out, less formal gatherings, and astonishment conjecture that Virginia's cooking has also played a role top the growth of interest misrepresent combinatory logic.

  1. Biography in Encyclopaedia Britannica.http://www.britannica.com/biography/Haskell-Brooks-Curry
  2. J P Seldin and J Concentration Hindley (eds.), To H Gawky Curry : essays on combinable logic, lambda calculus and formalism(London-New York, 1980).
  3. A short biography ensnare Haskell B Curry, in To H B Curry : essays on combinatory logic, lambda incrustation and formalism(London-New York, 1980), vii-xi.
  4. Bibliography of Haskell B Curry, bond To H B Curry : essays on combinatory logic, lambda calculus and formalism(London-New York, 1980), xiii-xx.
  5. J P Seldin, In memoriam: Haskell Brooks Curry, in Perspectives on the history of scientific logic(Boston, Boston, MA, 1991), 169-175.
  6. J P Seldin, Curry's program, reach To H B Curry : essays on combinatory logic, lambda calculus and formalism(London-New York, 1980), 3-33.

Additional Resources (show)

Written soak J J O'Connor and Fix F Robertson
Last Update Nov 2004