Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by bryan0 on Monday September 27, 2021 @01:54PM
(#28673862)
Anyone have recommendations for a good biography of von Neumann?
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by mjreacher on Tuesday September 28, 2021 @12:14AM
(#28679266)
For non mathematical topics "John Von Neumann: The Scientific Genius Who Pioneered the Modern Computer, Game Theory, Nuclear Deterrence, and Much More" by Macrae is reasonably well sourced although the author's self admitted lack of mathematics does show. A biography reasonably covering mathematical topics too doesn't really exist yet given the wide range of von Neumann's work but if you're more interested in mathematical legacy there was an AMS symposium on him in 1988 whose proceedings are available online https://bookstore.ams.org/pspum-50 and other various smaller papers on his technical legacy over the years.
Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by csbartus on Monday September 27, 2021 @03:26PM
(#28674959)
A short one can be found in The Computer And The Brain written by his wife as foreword. https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300181111/computer-and-b...
Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by dgs_sgd on Monday September 27, 2021 @02:01PM
(#28673929)
I found "John von Neumann and Norbert Wiener: From Mathematics to the Technologies of Life and Death" excellent, if you don't mind learning about Norbert Wiener as well :).
Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by kryptiskt on Monday September 27, 2021 @02:40PM
(#28674346)
There's a fairly old book by William Poundstone "Prisoner's Dilemma: John von Neumann, Game Theory, and the Puzzle of the Bomb". I can't vouch for it, as I read it long ago and don't remember just how much of a biography it was. It's very readable though.
Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by bmm6o on Monday September 27, 2021 @11:28PM
(#28678991)
It's a good book on game theory, but i don't recall it being much of a biography.
Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by garybake on Tuesday September 28, 2021 @05:05AM
(#28680684)
I'd say its about 1/3 biography, 1/3 history of the early cold war and 1/3 game theory. Neuman definitely deserves a good biography though.
Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by clint on Monday September 27, 2021 @04:46PM
(#28675796)
Turing's Cathedral has a lot about Neumann
Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by biofox on Monday September 27, 2021 @03:24PM
(#28674945)
I can recommend the one published by the AMS.
Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by bryan0 on Tuesday September 28, 2021 @01:55PM
(#28685532)
sounds like you are referring to this: https://bookstore.ams.org/pspum-50
Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by e4325f on Monday September 27, 2021 @02:37PM
(#28674313)
Prisoner's Dilemma
Re:What John von Neumann Did at Los Alamos
by bobcostas55 on Monday September 27, 2021 @02:19PM
(#28674126)
There aren't any, though there's a new one coming out very soon which might be good.