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It is important to note at the beginning of this chapter that readers without expertise in mathematics should not be deterred. As far as mathematics and engineering are concerned, only Section 3.4 can be considered complex. The first order of business will be to provide an overview of who it was that worked as mathematical experts within the electrical industry (3.1). Because the specific focus below will be on light bulb and electron tube research at Osram and Telefunken, it will be appropriate to describe the organizational structures of their research divisions (3.2). The next section, concerned with scientific communication, will elucidate the extent to which these businesses encouraged their researchers to be involved in broader scientific communities (3.3). Section 3.4, already mentioned, will clarify particular problems of light bulb and electron tube research and the mathematical methods that were used to solve them. Finally, the general characteristics and methods of mathematical consultants in industrial research will be summarized and compared with those of mathematicians in other fields.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-0348-0251-2_3

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