This collection of various texts on Karl Marx and Mathematics is the revised and extended second edition of the Special Supplement to Karl Marx, Mathematical Manuscripts (1994; Calcutta: Viswakos) titled Marx and Mathematics. The sources of the texts included in the three parts of this collection and, some biographical information about their respective authors have been indicated at the end of each text.
The emergence and development of the Ethnomathematics movement continue to change our understanding of the history of evolution of plural mathematics on planet earth since the Neolithic age. Rediscovery and study of some of the neglected source texts have further energized investigations on the subsequent history of mathematical cultures, including those on the histories of algebra and analysis in some of the ancient and medieval languages of Asia, like Sanskrit, Arabic and Malayalam. Consequently, it is now possible to indicate some of the larger gaps in the dominant understanding of history of mathematics not only in Marx’s time, but also at the time of editing Marx’s mathematical manuscripts in the twentieth century, and even today. Finally, the emergence and development of mathematical and statistical software packages are vigorously reshaping our ways of conceptualizing and doing mathematics towards an unknown future. It is time now for taking yet another look at all mathematical text from the past and that includes the mathematical manuscripts of Marx.
These texts have been divided into three parts. Part one contains some topical texts related to the history of emergence, development, editing, publication and reception of the mathematical manuscripts of Karl Marx. Part two contains a selection of five articles reflecting some of the investigations inspired by these manuscripts in Russia, India and France. Part three contains five articles on plural mathematics before and after Karl Marx (1818-1883). The texts in this collection are followed by two appendices containing two bibliographies: one on Hegel and mathematics and, the other on mathematics and semiotics.
Please note: This title is co-published with Aakar Books, Bew Delhi. Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the print edition in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives or Bhutan).
1. Introduction, 20192. Introduction, 1994
Part One: History
EXCERPTS FROM LETTERS 3. Marx to Engels: 11 January 1858, 6 July 1863 4. Engels to F.A. Lange: 29 March 1865 5. Marx to Engels: 31 May 1873 6. Engels to Marx:18 August 1881, 21 November 1882 7. Marx to Engels: 22 November 1882
EXCERPTS FROM REMINISCENCES
8. Engels’: Speech at Marx’s funeral, 17 March 1883 9. Preface to the second edition of Anti-Dühring, 23 September 1885, Paul Lafargue: 1890 10. A note on the history of collecting, deciphering, editing and publication of Marx’s 11. Mathematical Manuscripts, 1994 – Pradip Baksi 12. Notes to references in the preceding pages
BIBLIOGRAPHY
13. Different editions of Karl Marx’s Mathematical Manuscripts 14. Books and articles on Karl Marx’s Mathematical Manuscripts 15. Additions to the Bibliography 16. Emil Julius Gumbel (1891-1966): The first editor of the Mathematical Manuscripts of Karl Marx – Annette Vogt
Part Two: Investigations
16. The Concept of Differential according to Marx and Hadamard 17. Marx’s “Mathematical Manuscripts” and development of history of mathematics
in the USSR 18. On the logical apparatus working in Karl Marx’s Capital and Mathematical Manuscripts 19. On the problem of situating Marx’s mathematical manuscripts in the history of ideas 20. The differential calculus, mathematicians and economists in the nineteenth century:
Part Three: Plural Mathematics
21. Mathematics and its history in retrospective 22. Nonstandard analysis and the history of classical analysis 22. The new structural approach in mathematics and some of its methodological problems 23. Reflections on seven themes of philosophy of mathematics 24. Emergence and development of the concept of constructivisability in mathematics 25. Appendices: Two Bibliographies 26. Appendix I. A bibliography on Hegel and mathematics 27. Appendix II. A bibliography on mathematics and semiotics
Biography
Pradip Baksi translator and editor of the first Bengali and English editions of these manuscripts (1994) and, of some texts of Rammohun Roy (1998), and of Karl Marx (1999) on India.
