The Mathematical Intelligencer is pleased to award its fourth annual Chandler David Prize for Expository Excellence to Paul Nahin for "The Mysterious Mr. Graham," published as the "Mathematical Communities" column for vol. 38, no. 1.
In this strikingly compelling story, Nahin explains that, a few years ago, a used math paperback caught his eye and he began to wonder why he had never heard of the author. Rather casually at first, he then decided to track him down: "Who was this L. A. Graham?"! The result is a short, spellbinding narrative, a model of expository excellence, in which Nahin gradually draws the reader into a puzzling mystery that weaves recreational mathematics, an unexpected biography, and 20th century social history, all with links to the years of great jazz. "The Mysterious Mr. Graham" captures the extraordinary life of a truly singular mathematician.
Paul J. Nahin is Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering at the University of New Hampshire. He is the author of 18 books on the history of mathematics, physics, and computational science, published by Springer and the university presses of Johns Hopkins and Princeton.