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Reading, writing and arithmetic – the glorious interrelation of maths and literature

Sarah Hart discusses the Oulipo group, Jorge Luis Borges and Eleanor Catton among other writers who have explored the use of mathematics in their works

5 August 2023

9:00 AM

5 August 2023

9:00 AM

Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature Sarah Hart

Mudlark, pp.304, 16.99

There are lots of reasons why non-scientists should be forced to study mathematics, but it’s hard to see why mathematicians should bother with literature. Literature is part of the entertainment industry: emotional manipulation, crippled by cheap assertions and hollow arguments. Maths is intellectual. Maths has rigorous standards. Literature hides guff under its pretty phrases.

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