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Gasarch, William

A joint review of "Reality Conditions: Short Mathematical Fiction, by Alex Kasman", MAA 2005;"Numb3rs, TV show. CBS", Free. Currently running Fridays at 10:00PM; "Mathematical Apocryphia: Stories and Annecdotes of Mathematicians and the Mathematical by Steven Kranz", MAA, 2002; "Mathematical Apocryphia Redux: More Stories and Annecdotes of Mathematicians and the Mathematical by Steven Kranz", MAA, 1999

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  • Media type: E-Article
  • Title: A joint review of "Reality Conditions: Short Mathematical Fiction, by Alex Kasman", MAA 2005;"Numb3rs, TV show. CBS", Free. Currently running Fridays at 10:00PM; "Mathematical Apocryphia: Stories and Annecdotes of Mathematicians and the Mathematical by Steven Kranz", MAA, 2002; "Mathematical Apocryphia Redux: More Stories and Annecdotes of Mathematicians and the Mathematical by Steven Kranz", MAA, 1999
  • Contributor: Gasarch, William
  • imprint: Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2006
  • Published in: ACM SIGACT News
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.1145/1165555.1165559
  • ISSN: 0163-5700
  • Keywords: General Medicine
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: <jats:p>I once asked a lesbian friend of mine "what is your favorite TV show?" She said it is "The L word" (a lesbian-themed show on HBO). She admitted that it really wasn't that good, but it was about people like her, and it was one of the few such shows. I approach fiction (and even nonfiction) about mathematicians in the same light. I give it some credit just for relating to us.In this review I consider three such works and ask the following questions: (1) is it fun to read (or view) independent of the math? (2) does the math fit in well? (3) will it get people interested in math? (4) does it portray mathematics and mathematicians in an accurate light (and is that a good thing)?</jats:p>