MATHEMATICAL FICTION:

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

Home All New Browse Search About

...
Folk Music Festivals and Mathematics Conferences (2015)
Erik Talvila
(click on names to see more mathematical fiction by the same author)
...

The narrator in this work of mathematical fiction attends both a music festival and a math research conference. This allows the author, a math professor at the University of the Fraser Valley, to compare and contrast them. However, this is done in a humorous way by swapping descriptions that one would expect for one of them for the other. For instance, the folk concert is described as a dry affair where the audience does not understand or really appreciate what the musicians are doing, while the math conference begins with a "jam session" where a group of researchers improvise a proof.

I must say that I enjoy math conferences much more than the narrator enjoys the music festival in the story. Of course, each person has the right to their own opinion, but I worry that this story will give people who do not have their own experience with math conferences an undeservedly negative opinion of them.

This work was published in the Mathematical Intelligencer Volume 37, Number 3.

BTW If you're a fan of Erik Talvila's brand of humorous mathematical fiction, check out his self-published novel Topology of Sexy Shoes.

More information about this work can be found at link.springer.com.
(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 Folk Music Festivals and Mathematics Conferences
According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:
  1. I Had to Call In a Mathematician by Erik Talvila
  2. The Unending Constant by Christopher Banyas
  3. Integration Bar by Erik Talvila
  4. The Pi-Royal Tire by Erik Talvila
  5. Rithmatic by B.J. Novak
  6. The Rubbish Researchers Puzzle by Michael W. Lucht
  7. Math Takes a Holiday by Paul Di Filippo
  8. Mathematically Bent by Colin Adams
  9. A Deprogrammer's Tale by Colin Adams
  10. A Proof of God by Colin Adams
Ratings for Folk Music Festivals and Mathematics Conferences:
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:
4/5 (1 votes)
..
Literary Quality:
2/5 (1 votes)
..

Categories:
GenreHumorous,
MotifAcademia, Music, Math as Cold/Dry/Useless,
Topic
MediumShort Stories,

Home All New Browse Search About

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)