Mathematics Genealogy Project
Encyclopedia
The Mathematics Genealogy Project is a web-based database
for the academic genealogy
of mathematician
s. As of September, 2010, it contained information on approximately 145,000 mathematical scientists
who contribute to "research-level mathematics". For a typical mathematician, the Mathematics Genealogy Project entry includes graduation year, alma mater
, doctoral advisor
, and doctoral students.
's desire to know the name of his advisor's advisor. Coonce was Professor of Mathematics at Minnesota State University, Mankato
, at the time of the project's founding, and the project went online there in the fall of 1997. Coonce retired from Mankato in 1999, and in the fall of 2002 the university decided that it would no longer support the project. The project relocated at that time to North Dakota State University
. Since 2003, the project has also operated under the auspices of the American Mathematical Society
, and in 2005 it received a grant from the Clay Mathematics Institute
.
, computer science
, or operations research
is welcome."
.
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
for the academic genealogy
Academic genealogy
An academic, or scientific, genealogy, organizes a family tree of scientists and scholars according to dissertation supervision relationships....
of mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
s. As of September, 2010, it contained information on approximately 145,000 mathematical scientists
Mathematical sciences
Mathematical sciences is a broad term that refers to those academic disciplines that are primarily mathematical in nature but may not be universally considered subfields of mathematics proper...
who contribute to "research-level mathematics". For a typical mathematician, the Mathematics Genealogy Project entry includes graduation year, alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, doctoral advisor
Doctoral advisor
A doctoral advisor is an advanced member of a university faculty whose role is to guide a graduate student who is a candidate for a doctorate degree, helping them select coursework, as well as shaping, refining and directing the students' choice of sub-discipline...
, and doctoral students.
Origin of the database
The project grew out of founder Harry CoonceHarry Coonce
In mathematics, Harry Bernard Coonce is an American mathematician notable for being the originator of the now-popular Mathematics Genealogy Project, launched in 1996, a web-based catalog of mathematics doctoral advisors and students....
's desire to know the name of his advisor's advisor. Coonce was Professor of Mathematics at Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Minnesota State University, Mankato is a public four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota, a community of 53,000 located southwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul. As of Fall 2011, the student body is the third-largest in the state of Minnesota with over 15,000 students...
, at the time of the project's founding, and the project went online there in the fall of 1997. Coonce retired from Mankato in 1999, and in the fall of 2002 the university decided that it would no longer support the project. The project relocated at that time to North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
. Since 2003, the project has also operated under the auspices of the American Mathematical Society
American Mathematical Society
The American Mathematical Society is an association of professional mathematicians dedicated to the interests of mathematical research and scholarship, which it does with various publications and conferences as well as annual monetary awards and prizes to mathematicians.The society is one of the...
, and in 2005 it received a grant from the Clay Mathematics Institute
Clay Mathematics Institute
The Clay Mathematics Institute is a private, non-profit foundation, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Institute is dedicated to increasing and disseminating mathematical knowledge. It gives out various awards and sponsorships to promising mathematicians. The institute was founded in 1998...
.
Mission
The Mathematics Genealogy Mission statement states, "Throughout this project when we use the word "mathematics" or "mathematician" we mean that word in a very inclusive sense. Thus, all relevant data from statisticsStatistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
, computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
, or operations research
Operations research
Operations research is an interdisciplinary mathematical science that focuses on the effective use of technology by organizations...
is welcome."
Scope
The genealogy information is obtained from sources such as Dissertation Abstracts International and Notices of the American Mathematical Society, but may be supplied by anyone via the project's website. The searchable database contains the name of the mathematician, university which awarded the degree, year when the degree was awarded, title of the dissertation, names of the advisor and 2nd advisor, a flag of the country where the degree was awarded, a listing of doctoral students, and a count of academic descendants. Some historically significant figures who lacked a doctoral degree are listed, notably Joseph Louis LagrangeJoseph Louis Lagrange
Joseph-Louis Lagrange , born Giuseppe Lodovico Lagrangia, was a mathematician and astronomer, who was born in Turin, Piedmont, lived part of his life in Prussia and part in France, making significant contributions to all fields of analysis, to number theory, and to classical and celestial mechanics...
.