MATHEMATICAL FICTION:

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

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Harvey Plotter and the Circle of Irrationality (2011)
Nathan Carter / Dan Kalman
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Harvey Plotter, who has a scar shaped like a radical sign on his forehead, must find all of the rational points on the circularum unititatus before the evil Lord Voldemorphism.

The reader follows along as Harvey and his Graphindor friends (Rong and Hymernie) prove that the points on the unit circle for which both coordinates are rational numbers (aside from (0,1)) correspond to the lines with rational slope through the point (0,-1), and then (with help from Alphas Jumblemore) parametrize these points in terms of integer parameters p and q.

The puns are heavy and the plot light, but they are probably enough to coax the reader to continue on through a very clear and precise elementary worked example in rational algebraic geometry.

Published in Math Horizons, November 2011, pp 10-14. (This may not be the last we see of these characters. The Great Harvey Plotter Writing Contest is announced on page 2 of the same issue.)

(Note: This is just one work of mathematical fiction from the list. To see the entire list or to see more works of mathematical fiction, return to the Homepage.)

Works Similar to Harvey Plotter and the Circle of Irrationality
According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:
  1. Uncle Georg's Attic by Ben Schumacher
  2. Pythagoras's Darkest Hour by Colin Adams
  3. The Gangs of New Math by Robert W. Vallin
  4. Unreasonable Effectiveness by Alex Kasman
  5. The Case of the Murdered Mathematician by Julia Barnes / Kathy Ivey
  6. Cardano and the Case of the Cubic by Jeff Adams
  7. Donald in Mathmagic Land by Hamilton Luske (director)
  8. The Mathematician's Nightmare: The Vision of Professor Squarepunt by Bertrand Russell
  9. A Tangled Tale by Lewis Carroll
  10. Odd Squad by Tim McKeon / Adam Peltzman
Ratings for Harvey Plotter and the Circle of Irrationality:
RatingsHave you seen/read this work of mathematical fiction? Then click here to enter your own votes on its mathematical content and literary quality or send me comments to post on this Webpage.
Mathematical Content:
5/5 (2 votes)
.
Literary Quality:
1.5/5 (2 votes)
..

Categories:
GenreHumorous, Fantasy, Didactic, Children's Literature,
Motif
TopicGeometry/Topology/Trigonometry, Algebra/Arithmetic/Number Theory,
MediumShort Stories,

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Where are the new works of mathematical fiction?: As you can see from this chronological listing, this database includes many works of mathematical fiction for each year from 1990 to 2025. Strangely, only two are listed for 2026, so far. Either less mathematical fiction is being published than in previous years or I'm just having more trouble finding it. If you know of any works of fiction that should be added to this list, especially recently published ones, please let me know. (Keep in mind that I do not include self-published works or children's fiction that just covers elementary mathematical concepts.) Thanks!

(Maintained by Alex Kasman, College of Charleston)