George Spencer-Brown (2 April 1923 – 25 August 2016) was an English polymath best known as the author of Laws of Form. He described himself as a "mathematician, consulting engineer, psychologist, educational consultant and practitioner, consulting psychotherapist, author, and poet".[1]
During his time at Cambridge Spencer-Brown was a chess half-blue. He held two world records as a glider pilot, and was a sports correspondent to the Daily Express.[5] He has also written some novels and poems, sometimes employing the pen name James Keys. Spencer-Brown died on 25 August 2016.
Laws of Form, at once a work of mathematics and of philosophy, emerged from work in electronic engineering Spencer-Brown did around 1960, and from lectures on mathematical logic he later gave under the auspices of the University of London's extension program. First published in 1969, it has never been out of print. Spencer-Brown referred to the mathematical system of Laws of Form as the "primary algebra" and the "calculus of indications"; others have termed it "boundary algebra". The primary algebra is essentially an elegant minimalist notation for the two-element Boolean algebra, very similar to formal systems that Charles Sanders Peirce devised in work written in the 1880s and 1890s (see entitative graph and existential graph), but in some cases not published until after the first edition of Laws of Form.
In a 1976 letter to the Editor of Nature, Spencer-Brown claimed a proof of the four-color theorem, which is not computer-assisted.[7] The preface of the 1979 edition of Laws of Form repeats that claim, and further states that the generally accepted computational proof by Appel, Haken, and Koch has 'failed' (page xii). Spencer-Brown's claimed proof of the four-color theorem has yet to find any defenders; Kauffman provides a detailed review of parts of that work.[8][9]
^Brief bio 11 June 2004 at the Wayback Machine of G. Spencer-Brown.
^"George Spencer-Brown, polymath who wrote the landmark maths book Laws of Form – obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 13 September 2016.
^. Archived from the original on 11 June 2004. Retrieved 2 June 2004.
^Spencer Brown, George (1957): Probability and Scientific Inference, London.
^Cf. Spencer-Brown, George: Laws of Form, New York: Dutton, (1969/1979), S. 143 (About the Author).
^"The Unknown Storyteller Project - inspired by Laws of Form". leonconrad.com. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
^Robert Spencer (6 January 1977). "A colourful character". New Scientist. p. 6.
^Kauffman, Louis H. (2001). "On the map theorem". Discrete Math. 229 (1–3): 171–184. doi:10.1016/s0012-365x(00)00207-7. ISSN 0012-365X.
^Kauffman, L. (2005). "Reformulating the map color theorem". Discrete Mathematics. 302 (1–3): 145–172. arXiv:math/0112266. doi:10.1016/j.disc.2004.07.031. S2CID 14455780., preprint available online.
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to G. Spencer-Brown.
, website with Tutorial, Flash animations, downloads. Site not found
Richard Shoup's website devoted to Spencer-Brown, his work, and related ideas. Includes an extensive bibliography of the secondary literature on Laws of Form.
of G. Spencer-Brown.
Draw a distinction... The space of imagination based on Spencer-Brown.
Kauffman, Louis H., "Reformulating the Map Color Theorem".
YouTube Course offering a close reading of Laws of Form by his last student, Leon Conrad.
July 09, 2023
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George Spencer Brown 2 April 1923 25 August 2016 was an English polymath best known as the author of Laws of Form He described himself as a mathematician consulting engineer psychologist educational consultant and practitioner consulting psychotherapist author and poet 1 G Spencer BrownBornGeorge Spencer Brown 1923 04 02 2 April 1923Grimsby Lincolnshire EnglandDied25 August 2016 2016 08 25 aged 93 Market Lavington Wiltshire EnglandAlma materTrinity College CambridgeOccupationMathematician Contents 1 Life 2 Laws of Form 3 Controversial mathematics 4 Selected publications 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksLife EditBorn in Grimsby Lincolnshire England Spencer Brown attended Mill Hill School and then passed the First M B in 1940 at London Hospital Medical College 2 now part of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry After serving in the Royal Navy 1943 47 he studied at Trinity College Cambridge earning Honours in Philosophy 1950 and Psychology 1951 and where he met Bertrand Russell From 1952 to 1958 he taught philosophy at Christ Church Oxford took M A degrees in 1954 from both Oxford and Cambridge and wrote his doctorate thesis Probability and Scientific Inference under the supervision of William Kneale which was released as a book in 1957 3 4 During the 1960s he became a disciple of the innovative Scottish psychiatrist R D Laing frequently cited in Laws of Form In 1964 on Bertrand Russell s recommendation he became a lecturer in formal mathematics at the University of London From 1969 onward he was affiliated with the Department of Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics at the University of Cambridge In the 1970s and 1980s he was visiting professor at the University of Western Australia Stanford University and at the University of Maryland College Park During his time at Cambridge Spencer Brown was a chess half blue He held two world records as a glider pilot and was a sports correspondent to the Daily Express 5 He has also written some novels and poems sometimes employing the pen name James Keys Spencer Brown died on 25 August 2016 Laws of Form EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed July 2017 Learn how and when to remove this template message Laws of Form at once a work of mathematics and of philosophy emerged from work in electronic engineering Spencer Brown did around 1960 and from lectures on mathematical logic he later gave under the auspices of the University of London s extension program First published in 1969 it has never been out of print Spencer Brown referred to the mathematical system of Laws of Form as the primary algebra and the calculus of indications others have termed it boundary algebra The primary algebra is essentially an elegant minimalist notation for the two element Boolean algebra very similar to formal systems that Charles Sanders Peirce devised in work written in the 1880s and 1890s see entitative graph and existential graph but in some cases not published until after the first edition of Laws of Form Laws of Form has influenced among others Heinz von Foerster Louis Kauffman Niklas Luhmann Humberto Maturana Francisco Varela Leon Conrad 6 and William Bricken Some of these authors have modified and extended the primary algebra with interesting consequences Controversial mathematics EditIn a 1976 letter to the Editor of Nature Spencer Brown claimed a proof of the four color theorem which is not computer assisted 7 The preface of the 1979 edition of Laws of Form repeats that claim and further states that the generally accepted computational proof by Appel Haken and Koch has failed page xii Spencer Brown s claimed proof of the four color theorem has yet to find any defenders Kauffman provides a detailed review of parts of that work 8 9 Selected publications Edit1957 Probability and Scientific Inference 1961 Design with the Nor 1970 23 degrees of Paradise 1971 Only Two can play this game Selected editions of Laws of Form 1969 London Allen amp Unwin 1972 Crown Publishers hardcover ISBN 0 517 52776 6 1994 Cognizer Company paperback ISBN 0 9639899 0 1 1997 German translation titled Gesetze der Form Lubeck Bohmeier Verlag ISBN 3 89094 321 7 Claim of Proof to Four Colour Theorem Letter to the Editor of Nature 17 December 1976 See also EditDistinction philosophy References Edit Brief bio Archived 11 June 2004 at the Wayback Machine of G Spencer Brown George Spencer Brown polymath who wrote the landmark maths book Laws of Form obituary The Daily Telegraph 13 September 2016 George Spencer Brown s Vita Archived from the original on 11 June 2004 Retrieved 2 June 2004 Spencer Brown George 1957 Probability and Scientific Inference London Cf Spencer Brown George Laws of Form New York Dutton 1969 1979 S 143 About the Author The Unknown Storyteller Project inspired by Laws of Form leonconrad com Retrieved 4 September 2022 Robert Spencer 6 January 1977 A colourful character New Scientist p 6 Kauffman Louis H 2001 On the map theorem Discrete Math 229 1 3 171 184 doi 10 1016 s0012 365x 00 00207 7 ISSN 0012 365X Kauffman L 2005 Reformulating the map color theorem Discrete Mathematics 302 1 3 145 172 arXiv math 0112266 doi 10 1016 j disc 2004 07 031 S2CID 14455780 preprint available online External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to G Spencer Brown G Spencer Brown Laws of Form website with Tutorial Flash animations downloads Site not found Richard Shoup s website devoted to Spencer Brown his work and related ideas Includes an extensive bibliography of the secondary literature on Laws of Form Brief bio of G Spencer Brown Draw a distinction The space of imagination based on Spencer Brown Kauffman Louis H Reformulating the Map Color Theorem Transcript of Spencer Brown s talks at Esalen 1973 http iconicmath com YouTube Course offering a close reading of Laws of Form by his last student Leon Conrad Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title G Spencer Brown amp oldid 1115559283, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
