NEUMANN, John von (1903-1957) - photo 1
NEUMANN, John von (1903-1957) - photo 2
NEUMANN, John von (1903-1957) - photo 3

NEUMANN, John von (1903-1957)

Lot 231
13.07.2022 10:30UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 16 380
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 794546
Lot 231 | NEUMANN, John von (1903-1957)
Estimate value
£ 10 000 – 15 000
NEUMANN, John von (1903-1957)

'Zur Theorie der Gesellschaftsspiele.' Offprint from: Mathematische Annalen. Band 100, pp.295-320. Berlin, J. Springer, 1928

Extremely rare offprint of the foundational work on mathematical game theory. 'John von Neumann single-handely invented game theory, introducing the genral mathematical concept of "strategy" in [the present paper which] contained the proof of his famous "minimax" theorem that says "a strategy exists that guarantees, for each player, a maximum payoff assuming that the adversary acts so as to minimize that payoff"' (OOC 953). 'The role as founder is even more obvious for the theory of games, which von Neumann, in a 1926 [sic] paper, conjured - so to speak - out of nowhere ...This [minimax theory] was the starting point for far reaching generalizations, including applications to economics, a topic in which von Neumann became interested in as early as 1937 and that he developed in his major treatise written with O[skar] Morenstern, Theory of Games and Economic behavior (1944). These theories have developed into a full-fledged mathematical discipline, attracting many researchers and branching into several types of applications to the social sciences.' (DSB 14, p.92). Offprints of Von Neumann's 1928 paper are very rare: we have only been able to trave one other at auction (Sotheby's New York, 13 December 2000, lot 111, $23,750; ABPC/RBH). The volume also contains four toher offprints by von Neumann, viz: 'Beweis des Ergodensatzes und des H-Theorems in der neuen Mechanik' from Zeitschrift für Physik, 57, pp.30-70, 1929; 'Allegemeine Eigenwerttheorie Hermitescher Funkionaloperatoren' from: Mathematische Annalen, 102, pp.49-131, 1929; 'Über die analytischen Eigenschaften von Gruppen linearer Transformationen und ihrer Darstellungen' from: Mathematische Zeitschrift, 30, 1-42, 1929; 'Zum Beweise des Minkowskischen Satzes über Linearformen' from: Mathematische Zeitschrift, 30, 1-2, 1929; 'Zur Alegbra der Funktionaloperationen und Theorie der normalen Operatoren' from: Mathematische Annalen, 102, 370-427, 1929.



Bound with 32 other offprints in one volume, octavo (224 x 150mm). Black library half cloth (extremities rubbed, short splits to upper joint at head). Provenance: Hungarian Academy of Sciences (cancelled stamp).





Special notice


No VAT on hammer price or buyer's premium.
Place of origin:Western Europe, Germany, Europe
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
13.07.2022 – 13.07.2022
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Buyer Premium see on Website
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.