Yellow - the color of math books

[Fervent Freyja]

Richard Courant said:

At that time the next generation of the Springer Publishing House was in a big fight with his uncle, who wanted to (throw him) out because he made big commitments — I think it was not the Handbuch der Physik — but to some journal. He made some comitment, very many hundred thousand marks. Springer was really a genius. I mean this combination of understanding for science and people and business. And so I met Springer, and we talked on some occasions about mathematics and religion And I was very unhappy about the existing textbooks. Of course Hilbert had always said, in the old times some good textbooks were written, Riemann-Weber, and Weber's algebra and so on. But now this generation must also do something And I felt inspired by this. I talked with Hilbert about this Springer, and this plan of the yellow series was conceived then.

He also had his own "yellow peril" series before Springer put him on payroll. So, it's probably safe to state that Courant was a large influence for the textbook series being yellow for the last century. That's all I could find. vela is probably spot on about the intended meaning of the color being dangerous, since his own series had a warning label, it could be assumed the humorous intention was the same for the series he helped Springer with. Though, until the company states that with certainty, the meaning of the color can't be known for sure.

 

[Logical Dog]

Richard Courant said:

He also had his own "yellow peril" series before Springer put him on payroll. So, it's probably safe to state that Courant was a large influence for the textbook series being yellow for the last century. That's all I could find. vela is probably spot on about the intended meaning of the color being dangerous, since his own series had a warning label, it could be assumed the humorous intention was the same for the series he helped Springer with. Though, until the company states that with certainty, the meaning of the color can't be known for sure/

thanks for the link. really offers some insight into why he wrote the book what is mathematics, the way he did :-]

 

[dkotschessaa]

I swear that one semester I had at least 3 books (math and logic) with something like this on the cover:

 

[Aufbauwerk 2045]

I love the reply from Springer. It is so German.

I have always thought those yellow Springer books look very authoritative. Pick up a hardcover yellow Springer book and you know you have a serious work, nicht wahr?

My anecdotal contribution is that I have noticed over several years of too much web browsing that using a yellow or gold background is more common among German websites than any other, although I have not noticed it as much in updated websites as I remember from the older ones. Perhaps it has something to do with gold and black being two of the German national colors? Or Springer decided it would be distinctive and help people find the Springer books in the book stores.

I've been wondering what background color to use on my new website. But no longer. Alles klar!

 

[Demystifier]

I swear that one semester I had at least 3 books (math and logic) with something like this on the cover:

I know only one such book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0872209547/?tag=pfamazon01-20
What are the others?

 

[dkotschessaa]

I know only one such book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0872209547/?tag=pfamazon01-20
What are the others?

I don't have them in front of me, but at least one was a book on logic, and by a different author! I think the other was a linear algebra book.
I also found one online just now called "zen physics," whatever that means. I know I had another that WAS an actual zen book, but that is not apropos of our discussion unless we really want to go on a tangent.