A Rosetta Stone for Mathematics or was it a philosopher's stone?

Recommendable! What about a philosopher's stone? 😊

"In 1940, from a jailhouse in Rouen, France, André Weil wrote one of the most consequential letters of 20th-century mathematics. He was serving time for refusing to join the French army, and he filled his days in part by writing letters to his sister, Simone, an accomplished philosopher living in London.

In a previous letter, Simone had asked André to tell her about his work. With war all around, André began his reply cautiously, warning his sister that past a certain point “you will understand nothing of what follows.” Over the next 14 pages, he sketched his idea for a “Rosetta stone” for mathematics. ...

Weil’s Rosetta stone linked three fields of mathematics: number theory, geometry, and, in the middle, the study of finite fields.

Other mathematicians had proposed ideas in this direction, but Weil was the first to spell out an exact vision. His letter presaged the Langlands program, a major initiative in contemporary mathematical research. ..."

A Rosetta Stone for Mathematics | Quanta Magazine In 1940 André Weil wrote a letter to his sister, Simone, outlining his vision for translating between three distinct areas of mathematics. Eighty years later, it still animates many of the most exciting developments in the field.

Credits: Institute for Advanced Study Monthly Enews

André Weil and his sister Simone pictured when he was 16 and she was 13. Both grew up to become influential intellectuals.