... took her own life after the November 1938 massacre.

The author of this book, starting entirely from scratch, gives an adequate and very readable introduction to two-dimensional topology and an excellent discussion of various simple geometrical figures and their groups of self-transformations.

The bulk of the energy of the American graduate student of mathematics is used in learning the essentials of algebra, analysis, and geometry. After he gets settled in his life-work, he seldom feels the urge to go through a lot of memoirs in the periodical literature to find out what a certain branch of his study is about. In the absence of a comprehensive, unified theory, there will be few texts to guide his path, and probably he will forego exploration in that direction altogether.

Until the publication of Dr Levi's text, this has been the case with reference to configurations. The author, in his preface, expresses the hope that the few topics he has selected will beguile more mathematicians into a study of configurations. He bears in mind the necessity of assuming more maturity than knowledge in his readers, and promises to unveil the hidden connections be-tween group theory and analysis situs, combinatorial topology and geometric figures. He plans a second book, to cover gaps in the present text.
...
The mathematical world is indebted to Dr Levi for making this first text upon a fascinating topic.

... the case of exponent 3 is treated, namely, the order of the group is determined as a function of the number of generators, the structure of the group is examined, and a complete enumeration of the characteristic subgroups is given.

Upon introducing a course of lectures in Algebra, I realised after delivering a few lectures that the students of this country should have a book covering the entire subject matter. In order to make my lectures successful, I had no other alternative than to write a textbook and publish it in different parts as quickly as possible.

So a provisional edition of this textbook was taken into hand. References to the original papers, examples, explanations of details, everything that caused delays in publication had to be omitted in these "lectures." Later, a full textbook on Algebra will be published.

... is an introduction to abstract algebra for graduate students. It discusses the basic algebraic structures and some number theory (like continued fractions). A few topics which are usually not included in graduate algebra texts are also studied, e.g., approximation of roots, Sturm's and Budan-Fourier's theorems etc. Important features are the numerous examples which make the book especially useful for students. Levi completed the manuscript of the second volume in which abelian groups, finite groups, Galois theory, commutative and non-commutative rings were discussed at length, but this volume has never been printed in book form.

The book is well written, and many examples should further increase its value as a text book.

... moved me deeply through the terrible news it contained. As I so lightly sent you 'cordial greetings', I had no idea that also your poor mother and your sister were killed by those murderers' hands which have disgraced the German name forever. If this possibility had been known to me, I would never have dared to write in such a harmless fashion to you. I did not know the dead, however I had a mother, and have a sister, and it is possible for me to have some feeling what such a loss in such a way must mean. And I feel myself guilty as well. To be sure, we knew nothing of these horrors, however, indeed, we dimly suspected them, we had immeasurable and pitiable fear and because of this fear for our own lives, we were silent. Today I feel that we should have stood up and spoken out, even in the certainty of being murdered ourselves. At the time I silenced my conscience with the impoverished objection that such a sacrifice were indeed senseless, and with secret gifts of money to Jews in need. Even such actions were always in the fear that someone would find out and it would land us also in a concentration camp.

Opening the general discussion on group theory, Professor Levi pointed out that the automorphisms of a system of any kind form a group, and that every group can be considered a group of automorphisms. This interconnection seems to be the reason for the central position of group theory. Starting from the idea of ​​automorphism, i.e. of generalised permutations - a review was given of the development of the theory in recent times.

Besides this main line of progress, a certain by-way has gained enhanced importance, where the idea of ​​combination prevails. This theory is the subject of the report.

At the suggestion of Prof Levi, the desirability of students who had completed a course of advanced study in one University being given facilities for work in other Universities was discussed.

It was agreed that

(i) Universities be requested to arrange for research scholars to be sent to specialists and that each University should pay the expenses of its students.

(ii) that Universities and Colleges be requested, whenever possible, to arrange special courses of lectures open to the post-graduate students of all Universities.

(iii) that intimation of such lectures be sent to Heads of departments of mathematics of various Universities, at least six months before the commencement of the lectures.

I like to remember the harmony and the spirit of good fellowship prevailing at the meetings of this Society at Lucknow, Hyderabad and Aligarh and the kindness shown by distinguished mathematicians of this country to me as newcomer; moreover I feel much indebted to many mathematicians of other countries - living or deceased - to my teachers and to those with whom I used to exchange ideas.

I had a long walk in the forest with Friedrich Levi, the nestor of abelian group theorists. Besides mathematics, he also told me about his escape from Germany to India.

... influence on mathematics in India was considerable. He introduced Indians to algebra (which used to be called modern algebra). He was an active participant in mathematical meetings. Levi played an important part in the acceptance of algebra in university curricula all over India.