MATHEMATICAL FICTION:

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

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The Problem of Cell 13 (1907)
Jacques Futrelle
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Contributed by "William E. Emba".

"The story which introduces Professor S. F. X. van Dusen, professional scientific supergenius, who lends his talents to solving baffling mysteries. He is described as primarily a logician, who spent years proving that 2+2=4, except in the rare cases when it doesn't."

I just learned, from reading Clarke's Ghost from the Grand Banks that Futrelle died at the sinking of the Titanic. All of his stories are available for free online. In particular, click here to read the Problem of Cell 13.

Contributed by Nemesis

It was a beautifully clever story, although it featured on its own very little math. However, I'm glad it's archived here anyway, since it was a *pleasure* to read.

More information about this work can be found at www.amazon.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 The Problem of Cell 13
According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:
  1. The One Best Bet [Flashlight] by Samuel Hopkins Adams
  2. Musgrave Ritual by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  3. The Ingenious Mr. Spinola by Ernest Bramah
  4. Adventure of the Final Problem by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  5. The Image in the Mirror by Dorothy Leigh Sayers
  6. Mathematical Doom by Paul Ernst
  7. The Elusive Bullet by John Rhode (aka Cecil John Charles Street)
  8. The Bird with the Broken Wing by Agatha Christie
  9. The Purloined Letter by Edgar Allan Poe
  10. Death and the Compass (La Muerte y La Brujula) by Jorge Luis Borges
Ratings for The Problem of Cell 13:
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:
2.69/5 (10 votes)
..
Literary Quality:
4.69/5 (10 votes)
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Categories:
GenreMystery,
Motif
Topic
MediumShort Stories, Available Free Online,

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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)