Mathematics and Culture I

Mathematics has been very topical over the last few years. Theatre, cinema and books have all talked about mathematicians and mathematics. This book stresses the strong links between mathematics and culture, as mathematics links theatre, literature, architecture, art, cinema, medicine but also dance, cartoon and music. The articles introduced here are meant to be interesting and amusing starting points to research the strong connection between scientific and literary culture.

This collection gathers contributions from cinema and theatre directors, musicians, architects, historians, physicians, experts in computer graphics and writers. In doing so, it highlights the cultural and formative character of mathematics, its educational value. But also its imaginative aspect: it is mathematics that is the creative force behind the screenplay of films such as "A Beautiful Mind", theatre plays like "Proof", musicals like "Fermat's Last Tango", successful books such as Simon Singh's "Fermat's Last Theorem" or Magnus Enzensberger's "The Number Devil".

• art
• cinema
• culture
• mathematics
• music

From the reviews:

"[…] The articles are written by scientists and by artists, musicians, film-makers and architects as well and can in general be followed easily by non-mathematicians. Therefore the book can be recommended for anyone who wants to look closer at the cultural importance of mathematics."

G.Kowol, Monatshefte für Mathematik 146, Issue 4, 2005

[...] The essays in Mathematics and Culture I, too numerous to survey here, show an even broader reach. Although some address predictable topics, e.g., mathematics and economics, technology and medicine, others make unique contributions concerning the impact of mathemaics on culture. [...]  Summing up: recommended for upper-division undergraduates through faculty."

D.V.Feldman, Choice, November 2004, Vol. 42, No. 3

"[…] Viele Beiträge geben Einsichten, die in der heute durchaus lebhaften Diskussion über Mathematik als kulturelle Errungenschaft nicht im Zentrum stehen, sodass dieser Band eine sehr willkommene Ergänzung darstellt."

F. Schweiger, Internationale Mathematische Nachrichten, 2004, Issue 197, 32-33

"That mathematics has a great impact on all aspects of society and vice versa, is obvious, but it is rarely seen that mathematicians lecture about social issues or that artists lecture about the impact of mathematics on their art. This book gives a cross section of all this. Each of the 27 contributions, grouped in 11 chapters are warmly recommended reading. … In summary: a delight to be read by any mathematician … . Buy it! Read it!

Adhemar Bultheel, Bulletin of the Belgian Mathematical Society, Vol. 12 (3), 2005

"This book stresses the strong links between mathematics and culture, as mathematics links theatre, literature, architecture, art, cinema, medicine but also dance, cartoon and music. The articles introduced here are meant to be interesting and amusing starting points to research the strong connection between scientific and literary culture."

Zentralblatt für Didaktik der Mathematik, Mai, 2004

• University of Rome, Italy, Roma, Italy

  Michele Emmer

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