Modern Algebra and the Rise of Mathematical Structures (2nd ed.)

The book describes two stages in the historical development of the notion of mathematical structures: first, it traces its rise in the context of algebra from the mid-nineteenth century to its consolidation by 1930, and then it considers several attempts to formulate elaborate theories after 1930 aimed at elucidating, from a purely mathematical perspective, the precise meaning of this idea. First published in the series Science Networks Historical Studies, Vol. 17 (1996). In the second rev. edit