Abstract
AN interesting account of the origin of this institute is given in Scripta Mathematica (1, No. 2) and reproduced in the Indian journal, the Mathe matics Student (2, No. 2). Mr. Bamburger and Mrs. Felix Fuld were much impressed by Dr. Flexner's well-known book, “Universities: American, English, German”, and they asked the author what centre of learning he would organise if adequate funds were placed at his disposal. Dr. Flexner, after consultation with scholars throughout the world, replied that he regarded mathematics as the most fundamental of all disciplines, and suggested setting up a School of Mathematics. Mr. Bamburger and Mrs. Fuld accepited Dr. Flexner's ideas and gave five million dollars to have them put into effect. Prof. Einstein is director of the institute, which includes also Profs. Veblen and Weyl. Scholarships and fellowships are available for suitably qualified students. These are under the supervision of the professors, but there are no hard-and-fast rules, and each professor is at liberty to adopt whatever methods, formal or/ informal, he considers best calculated to promote research. This is an important point, since many consider that research institutes have a fatal tendency to become over-organised, to the detriment of original thought.
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Princeton Institute for Advanced Study. Nature 134, 769 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/134769c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/134769c0