The pseudonym originated by combining the initials of the mathematicians' given names (Bill, Leonard, Arthur, and Cedric) to form BLAC. This was extended to BLAnChe. The surname Descartes was chosen as a play on the common phrase carte blanche.[1]
Publication
Over 30 works were published under the name, including whimsical poetry and mathematical humour, but some serious mathematical results as well. Many of these publications appeared in Eureka, a mathematical student magazine in Cambridge. Notably, the foursome proved several theorems in mathematical tessellation. In particular, they solved the problem of squaring the square, showing that a square can be divided into smaller squares, no two of which are the same. They also discovered "Blanche's Dissection", a method of dividing a square into rectangles of equal area but different dimensions.[2] They modelled these using abstract electrical networks, an approach that yielded not only solutions to the original problem, but techniques with wider applications to the field of electrical networks.[3] They published their results—under their own names—in 1940.[4] Tutte, who is believed to have contributed the most work under Descartes's name, kept up the pretence for years, refusing to acknowledge even in private that she was fictitious.[5]
"Descartes" also published on graph colouring, and Tutte used the pseudonym to publish the fourth known snark, now called the Descartes snark.[6] She also published the poem "Hymne to Hymen"[7] as a gift to Hector Pétard (another fictitious mathematical personage) on the day of his wedding to Betti Bourbaki (daughter of Nicolas Bourbaki, yet another fictitious mathematical personage).[1]
Selected publications
Descartes, Blanche (October 1964). . Eureka. 27: 29–31. Archived from the original on 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2010-04-15.
^ abSmith, Cedric A. B.; Steve Abbott (March 2003). "The Story of Blanche Descartes". The Mathematical Gazette. 87 (508): 23–33. doi:10.1017/S0025557200172067. ISSN 0025-5572. JSTOR 3620560. S2CID 192758206.
^"Brooks, Smith, Stone and Tutte I". Squaring.net. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
^Brooks, R. L.; Smith, C. A. B.; Stone, A. H.; Tutte, W. T. (1940). "The Dissection of Rectangles into Squares". Duke Mathematical Journal. 7 (1): 312–340. doi:10.1215/s0012-7094-40-00718-9.
^Descartes, Blanche; C. A. B. Smith (March 2002). "86.25 Hymne to Hymen". The Mathematical Gazette. 86 (505): 133–136. doi:10.2307/3621599. ISSN 0025-5572. JSTOR 3621599. S2CID 171148710.
External links
Brooks, Smith, Stone and Tutte (Part 1) at squaring.net
Brooks, Smith, Stone and Tutte (Part 2) at squaring.net
blanche, descartes, collaborative, pseudonym, used, english, mathematicians, leonard, brooks, arthur, harold, stone, cedric, smith, tutte, four, mathematicians, 1935, undergraduate, students, trinity, college, cambridge, where, they, joined, trinity, mathemati. Blanche Descartes was a collaborative pseudonym used by the English mathematicians R Leonard Brooks Arthur Harold Stone Cedric Smith and W T Tutte The four mathematicians met in 1935 as undergraduate students at Trinity College Cambridge where they joined the Trinity Mathematical Society and began meeting together to work on mathematical problems Contents 1 Pseudonym 2 Publication 2 1 Selected publications 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksPseudonym EditThe pseudonym originated by combining the initials of the mathematicians given names Bill Leonard Arthur and Cedric to form BLAC This was extended to BLAnChe The surname Descartes was chosen as a play on the common phrase carte blanche 1 Publication EditOver 30 works were published under the name including whimsical poetry and mathematical humour but some serious mathematical results as well Many of these publications appeared in Eureka a mathematical student magazine in Cambridge Notably the foursome proved several theorems in mathematical tessellation In particular they solved the problem of squaring the square showing that a square can be divided into smaller squares no two of which are the same They also discovered Blanche s Dissection a method of dividing a square into rectangles of equal area but different dimensions 2 They modelled these using abstract electrical networks an approach that yielded not only solutions to the original problem but techniques with wider applications to the field of electrical networks 3 They published their results under their own names in 1940 4 Tutte who is believed to have contributed the most work under Descartes s name kept up the pretence for years refusing to acknowledge even in private that she was fictitious 5 Descartes also published on graph colouring and Tutte used the pseudonym to publish the fourth known snark now called the Descartes snark 6 She also published the poem Hymne to Hymen 7 as a gift to Hector Petard another fictitious mathematical personage on the day of his wedding to Betti Bourbaki daughter of Nicolas Bourbaki yet another fictitious mathematical personage 1 Selected publications Edit Descartes Blanche October 1964 Why are Series Musical Eureka 27 29 31 Archived from the original on 2010 04 01 Retrieved 2010 04 15 Descartes Blanche May 1977 Review of Bondy amp Murty s Graph theory with applications PDF Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society 83 3 313 315 doi 10 1090 S0002 9904 1977 14245 6 Ungar Peter Descartes Blanche Advanced Problems and Solutions Solutions 4526 Amer Math Monthly 61 1954 no 5 352 353 See also EditNicolas Bourbaki Arthur Besse John Rainwater G W Peck Monsieur LeBlancReferences Edit a b Smith Cedric A B Steve Abbott March 2003 The Story of Blanche Descartes The Mathematical Gazette 87 508 23 33 doi 10 1017 S0025557200172067 ISSN 0025 5572 JSTOR 3620560 S2CID 192758206 Weisstein Eric W Blanche s Dissection MathWorld Brooks Smith Stone and Tutte I Squaring net Retrieved 14 April 2010 Brooks R L Smith C A B Stone A H Tutte W T 1940 The Dissection of Rectangles into Squares Duke Mathematical Journal 7 1 312 340 doi 10 1215 s0012 7094 40 00718 9 Hobbs Arthur M James G Oxley March 2004 William T Tutte 1917 2002 PDF Notices of the American Mathematical Society 51 3 322 Descartes Blanche May 1948 Network colourings The Mathematical Gazette 32 299 67 69 doi 10 2307 3610702 ISSN 0025 5572 JSTOR 3610702 S2CID 250434686 Descartes Blanche C A B Smith March 2002 86 25 Hymne to Hymen The Mathematical Gazette 86 505 133 136 doi 10 2307 3621599 ISSN 0025 5572 JSTOR 3621599 S2CID 171148710 External links EditBrooks Smith Stone and Tutte Part 1 at squaring net Brooks Smith Stone and Tutte Part 2 at squaring net When was the Bourbaki Wedding by Lieven Le Bruyn On Blanche Descartes Richard K Guy Gathering 4 Gardner 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Blanche Descartes amp oldid 1136783283, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
