The case of Dedekind
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25
HAPPENING
WITH DEDEKIND
The author of the most widespread theory of irrational numbers, P. Dedekind, died, as is known, on February 12, 1916 at the age of 84.
However, back in 1904, in the “Book of Memoirs.dat for Mathematicians,” published as a supplement to the catalog of the Teudner publishing house and intended for participants in the third international mathematical congress, held in Heidelberg in the same year, the date September 4, 1899 was mentioned … the death day of P. Dedekind.
The latter was not replaced by writing a letter by the compiler of the mentioned book with approximately the following content: “Dear colleague! In your informative “Book of Memories.dat” you kindly remembered me. I am very grateful to you for this. I allow myself, however, to draw your attention to the fact that in indicating the date of my death, at least the year must be indicated incorrectly.”