Dr. Parshall is continuing her research on a biography of James Joseph Sylvester (1814-1897). Sylvester was one of the major figures of 19th century mathematics. As a key developer of the British school of invariant theory, he thrust Great Britain back into the thick of international mathematical competition. As the first professor of mathematics at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, he brought research- level mathematics to the United States. Under this grant, Dr. Parshall is undertaking two separate projects designed to detail and clarify further Sylvester's place in the history of mathematics. First, she is continuing her work with Paul Wolfson on the history of invariant theory. They are focusing on the period from Gordan's proof of the finiteness theorem in 1869 through Hilbert's complete generalization of it in 1893, and then tracing the impact of Hilbert's ideas on the area during the ensuing three decades. Second, she is completing a volume of selected Sylvester correspondence with historical and mathematical commentary. These two projects will serve to fill in the gaps which emerged as a result of the PI's prior research on Sylvester and will allow her to complete her biographical study of Sylvester's life, work and times.
