Annotated Bibliography
Strange Attractors
Chip Galloway, Professor of Mathematics
What follows is a list of many of the books used in the study grant “Strange Attractors: Mathematics and
Literature.”
The following books address how mathematics has been integrated into early literature from the classical Greek
period through the Middle Ages.
Timaeus – Plato – Focus Philosophical Library- 2001
Plato’s works are considered great works of literature and this is by far his most mathematical
dialogue.
Medieval Number Symbolism: Its Sources, Meaning and Influence on Thought and Expression, “Chapter VII:
The Beauty of Order – Dante” – Vincent Foster Hopper – Dover – 2011
Excellent discussion of number symbolism in Dante’s Divine Comedy.
The Canterbury Tales (“The Franklin’s Tale”) – Geoffrey Chaucer
Includes a discussion of the astrolabe, a scientific/mathematical instrument used in navigation and
astronomy. Chaucer also wrote a manual on the use of the astrolabe, considered the first example
of technical writing on the use of a scientific instrument in the English language.
The following are novels that are primarily mathematical, or have sections that are primarily mathematical.
Flatland – Edwin Abbott Abbott – Princeton Science Library – 1991
By far the most famous work of mathematical fiction, Abbott tells the story of inhabitants of Flatland,
a two dimensional world. He explores the geometry of different dimensions and satirizes aspects of
Victorian society.
Flatterland – Ian Stewart
A sequel to Flatland, exploring advanced geometrical ideas.
Sphereland – Dionys Burger
Another sequel to Flatland.
We - Yevgeny Zamyatin – Penguin Books – 1993
Dystopian novel uses many references to mathematics.
Uncle Petros and Goldbach’s Conjecture: A Novel of Mathematical Obsession – Apostolos Doxiadis –
Bloomsbury USA – 2001
An excellent novel about attempts to prove Goldbach;s Conjecture and the psychological make-up
of mathematicians obsessed with proving famous problems.
Pythagoras’ Revenge – Arturo Sangalli
A novel in which Pythagoras reincarnates to save the world from the disorder of chaos and
randomness in mathematics.
The Wild Numbers – Phillip Schogt
Excellent novel about a mathematician trying to prove a theorem and accused of plagiarism by one
of his students.
A Certain Ambiguity – Gaurav Sari and Hartosh Sinh Bal
Novel which poses the fundamental question: “Does the axiomatic model of mathematics apply to
all aspects of life?”
The Parrot’s Theorem – Denis Guedj
The primary purpose of this novel is to explore episodes in the history of mathematics.
Math Girls – Hiroshi Yuki
Novel mainly consisting of conversations between high school students about various math topics.
Goldman’s Theorem – R.J. Stern
Novel about a mathematician who finds an error in an important proof he has made. It also satirizes
academia.
Surreal Numbers – D.E. Knuth
This book explains a number system invented by mathematician John Conway, but in the form of a
novel.
The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure – Hans Magnus Enzensberger – Holt Paperbacks – 1997
Children’s novel in which the number devil visits a boy in his dreams to teach him appreciation of
mathematics.
The Man Who Counted – Malba Tahan
Excellent novel which is “a collection of mathematical adventures” of the main character.
The French Mathematician – Tom Petsinis – Berkley Trade - 1998 (novel about mathematician Evariste
Galois)
Excellent historical fiction about the life of mathematician Evariste Galois.
The Indian Clerk – David Leavitt
Excellent historical fiction about the lives of Srinivasa Ramanujan, G.H. Hardy and John Littlewood.
The Sand Reckoner – Gillian Bradshaw
Excellent historical fiction about the life of mathematician Archimedes.
Beyond the Limit – Joan Spicci
Another excellent example of historical fiction, this time about the life of mathematician Sofya
Kovalevsky who was also a novelist.
Sophie’s Diary: A Historical Fiction – Dora Musielak – Authorhouse – 2005
Novel about mathematician Sophie Germaine.
The following books illustrate how mathematics has been used in novels that are not primarily mathematical
(mainstream literature) - for symbolism, plot development, character development, or illumination of a theme or
theory.
War and Peace – Tolstoy – Signet Classics – 1968
Tolstoy expresses his views of history in terms of mathematics, especially calculus.
The Brothers Karamazov – Fyodor Dostoevsky – Bantam Classics – 2003
Dostoevsky uses Non-Euclidian geometry to symbolize that which the rational mind cannot grasp.
Gulliver’s Travels – Jonathan Swift
Swift satirizes math and the way it is taught in “A Voyage to Laputa”
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith – Blakiston Company – 1943
Smith paints a picture of the main character Francie with the way the girl views math.
Mrs. Miniver – Jan Struther – Mariner Books – 1990
Source of “Mrs. Miniver’s Problem” in mathematics.
Tristrram Shandy – Laurence Stern
Source of the “Tristram Shandy Paradox” put forth by Bertrand Russell.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon – Vintage – 2003
Highly recommended novel with many mathematical references including the Monty Hall problem.
Smilla’s Sense of Snow – Peter Hoeg – Delta – 1993
Another novel where the main character is described via her thoughts on math and numbers.
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain
Huck Finn expresses how he has no use for math.
Life on the Mississippi – Mark Twain – Dover – 2000
Twain makes several mathematical references including a humorous example of mathematical
extrapolation.
Moby Dick - Herman Melville – Bantam Classics – 1967
The narrator gives a detailed description of the cycloid curve.
Gravity’s Rainbow – Thomas Pynchon – Penguin Classics – 2006
Includes many mathematical references.
Young Torless – Robert Musil
Imaginary numbers are used to symbolize the irrational aspects of life.
The Time Machine – H.G. Wells
Wells makes references to the fourth dimension as time, an example of how discoveries in math
influenced science fiction writers.
Far From the Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
Hardy uses mathematical vocabulary descriptively: “he seemed to approach the grave as a
parabolic curve approaches a line.”
Slaughterhouse Five – Kurt Vonnegut
Humorous reference to the fourth dimension.
Alice in Wonderland/ Through the Looking Glass – Lewis Carroll
Includes many mathematical and logical references. Carroll was actually mathematician Charles
Dodgson.
The Solitude of Prime Numbers – Paolo Giardano
Includes references to prime number and twin primes to effectively illuminate the main character.
The Housekeeper and the Professor – Yoko Ogawa
A professor has issue with short term memory and uses numbers as his way of reaching out to the
world.
The Phantom Tollbooth – Norton Juster
Excellent children’s novel where a boy visits Dictionopolis and Digitopolis with many mathematical
references.
The Dot and the Line – Norton Juster
A line falls in love with a dot who is in love with a squiggle – romantic issues ensue. Another
humorous children’s novel by Juster.
A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle – Dell -1962
Includes references to the tesseract and higher dimensions.
Here are several examples of novels where the main character uses math to solve crimes:
The Oxford Murders – Guillermo Martinez
The Square Root of Murder – Ada Madison
Pythagorean Crimes – Tefcros Michaelides
The Fractal Murders – Mark Cohen
Strangler Figs – Peggy Brown
The following illustrate how mathematics has been used in short stories.
The World of Mathematics Volume 4, Part XXIII: Mathematics in Literature – James Newman, editor – Dover
Publications – 1956
Includes several mathematical short stories.
The Unimaginable Mathematics of Borges’ Library of Babel – William Goldbloom Bloch – Oxford University
Press – 2008
Explores many mathematical aspects of Borges’ short story “Library of Babel” including
combinatorics and topology.
Edgar Allen Poe: Complete Tales and Poems, “The Gold Bug” – Edgar Allen Poe – Castle Books – 2002
Poe uses cryptology in this famous story. Poe was fascinated with cryptology.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes, “The Adventure of the Dancing Men” - Arthur Conan Doyle – Bantam
Classics – 2003
Another example of an author using cryptology in another famous short story.
The Mathematical Magpie – Clifton Fadiman – Springer – 1997
Excellent collection of mathematical short stories by various authors.
Fantasia Mathematica – Clifton Fadiman – Copernicus – 1997
Another excellent collection of mathematical short stories by various authors.
The following are also collections of mathematical short stories:
Imaginary Numbers: An Anthology of Marvelous Mathematical Stories, Diversions, Poems, and Musings –
William Frucht – Wiley – 1999
Mathnauts: Tales of Mathematical Wonder – Rudy Rucker (ed.) – 1987
Reality Conditions: Short Mathematical Fiction – Alex Kasman – MAA - 2005
The following books address how mathematics has been used in poetry including its use in imagery and structure of
poems, and in analysis of rhyme schemes and syllable counts.
Discovering Patterns in Mathematics and Poetry – Marcia Birken and Anne C. Coon – Rodopi – 2008
Excellent book about the relationships between math and poetry, Very highly recommended!
Poetry and Mathematics – Scott Buchanan – University of Chicago Press – 1975
Essay about the relationship between poetry and math.
The following online articles are excellent:
“Mathematics in Poetry” – JoAnne Growney – Journal of Online Mathematics and Its Applications
“Mathematics Influences Poetry”, Journal of Mathematics and the Arts, Vol.2, No.1, March 2008 – Joanne
Growley
The Poetry of Victorian Scientists – Daniel Brown
Exploration of Victorian scientists who were also poets.
Fractal Music, Hypercards, and More – Martin Gardner – W.H. Freeman – 1992 – Chapter 2 “The Tinkling
Temple Bells”(information about Bell Numbers, used in analysis of rhyme schemes), Chapter 18 “Pi and
Poetry”, Chapter 19 “More on Poetry”
Time Travel and Other Mathematical Bewilderments – Martin Gardner – W.H. Freeman – 1988 - Chapter 20
“Catalan Numbers” (information about Catalan Numbers, used in analysis of rhyme schemes)
Penrose Tiles to Trapdoor Ciphers – Martin Gardner – W.H. Freeman – 1989 - Chapter 6 “The Oulipo”,
Chapter 7 “The Oulipo II” (information about OULIPO)
Oulipo: A Primer of Potential Literature – Warren F. Motte – Dalkey Archive Press – 2008
Explores the Oulipo movement. Among others things they looked at how to incorporate math into
poetry.
alphabet – Inger Christensen – New Directions – 2000
Poem based on Fibonacci sequence.
Geometries – Guillevic – Ugly Duckling press – 2010
Excellent collection of short poems about geometry.
Crossing the Equal Sign – Marion Deutsche Cohen – Plain View Press – 2007
Collection of mathematical poetry.
Strange Attractors: Poems of Love and Mathematics – Sarah Glaz and Joanne Growney (editors) - A K
Peters/CRC Press – 2008
Superlative collection of poems with mathematical themes.
The following are also collections of poetry with math and science themes:
Verse and Universe: Poems about Science and Mathematics – Kurt Brown – Milkweed Editions - 1998
Against Infinity: An Anthology of Contemporary Mathematical Poetry – Ernest Robson, ed. – Primary Press 1979
Imagination’s Other Place: Poems of Science and Mathematics – Helen Plotz, ed. – Thomas Y. Crowell 1955
Songs from Unsung Worlds: Science in Poetry – Bonnie Bilyeu Gordon, ed. – Birkhauser - 1985
The following illustrate how mathematics has been used in drama and plays.
The Birds – Aristophanes – Penguin Classics – 2003
Aristophanes includes a satire of geometer Meton.
Breaking the Code – Hugh Whitemore - Samuel French, Inc. – 1987
Play about mathematician Alan Turing.
Love Song of the Electric Bear – Sno Wilson – 2015
Another play about Alan Turing.
Proof : A Play – David Auburn - Faber and Faber – 2000
A play about genius mathematicians: father and daughter.
Arcadia : A Play – Tom Stoppard – Faber and Faber – 1994
A female genius of the 19th century anticipates twentieth century topics of chaos and iteration.
Victoria Martin: Math Team Queen – Kathryn Walat – 2007
The title says it!
The following sources address mathematicians who also made contributions in a literary field and vice versa.
Agnesi to Zeno: Over 100 Vignettes from the History of Math – Sanderson Smith – Key Curriculum Press –
1996
Various articles including information on Omar Khayyam and Longfellow.
Borges and Mathematics – Guillermo Martinez
Explore math used in the works of author Jorge Luis Borges.
The following are mathematical works by Lewis Carroll (mathematician Charles Dodgson):
The Mathematical Recreations of Lewis Carroll: Pillow Problems and a Tangled Tale – Lewis Carroll – Dover
– 1958
The Mathematical Recreations of Lewis Carroll: Symbolic Logic and Game of Logic – Lewis Carroll – Dover
- 1958
“C.L. Dodgson: Mathematician” – Tony Beale – article in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Norton
Critical Edition, 1992
Lewis Carroll in Numberland: His Fantastical Mathematical Logical Life – Robin Wilson – W.W. Norton &
Company – 2008
Excellent look at the mathematical works of Lewis Carroll. Highly recommended.
The Laws of Verse – J.J. Sylvester – Ulan Press
Written by the famous mathematician whose passion was poetry.
Nihilist Girl – Sofya Kovalevsky
Novel written by mathematician Sofya Kovalevsky.
Here is an example of literary elements found in a mathematical text.
Lilavati – Colebrooke translation
Bhaskara’s mathematics text from India is written in poetic language.
The Mathematics of Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, India, and Islam: A Sourcebook, “Chapter 4: Mathematics of
India” – Victor Katz, editor - Princeton University Press – 2007
Information covering the Lilavati.
Kavanagh – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Longfellow addressed the Lilavati in this novel.
The following address in general how mathematics and literature have influenced one another including cultural
attitudes towards mathematics, both positive and negative, that have been reflected in literary works.
Mathematics in Western Culture, Chapter XVIII: The Newtonian Influence: Literature and Aesthetics – Morris
Kline - Oxford University Press – 1953
Discusses how Newton’s work and the Age of Reason influenced literature.
“Mathematics in Literature”- article in Essays in Humanistic Mathematics – Ubiratan D’Ambrosio – MAA –
1992
Discusses relationship between literature and math.