ABSTRACT
Ulam is a magic name in modern mathematics. In Ulam’s writing, as in Leonardo’s, there is scarcely a mention of mother and father. At eleven Ulam began to be known as a bright child who understood the special theory of relativity. He was an A student but did not study much, active in sports, played bridge, poker, and chess. At 15 he absorbed the calculus, number theory, and set theory. At 18, when he matriculated from gymnasium, the choice of profession presented difficulties. His father wanted him to join his successful law practice, while Ulam longed for a university career. For Ulam, the transition from pure mathematics to applied physics was remarkably easy. Although Ulam’s three intellectual heros were Banach, von Neumann, and Fermi, none of them is portrayed so vividly in the book as Birkhoff. The Ulam-Birkhoff relationship seems to have been somewhat ambiguous on both sides.
