MATHEMATICAL FICTION:

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

Home All New Browse Search About

...
Hypatia's Math: A Play (2016)
Daniel S. Helman
...

This play about the life of the ancient Greek mathematician Hypatia features music, dance, and the ghost of Hypatia herself. It was first performed in 2016 at the Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy in Flagstaff, AZ. The script (along with notes regarding the process by which it was written) were later published in the January 2024 issue of The Journal of Humanistic Mathematics. Thanks to Allan Goldberg for bringing it to my attention.

Daniel S. Helman, "Hypatia's Math: A Play," Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, Volume 14 Issue 1 (January 2024), pages 339-390. DOI: 10.5642/jhummath.TGTB9022. Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/jhm/vol14/iss1/29

More information about this work can be found at scholarship.claremont.edu.
(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 Hypatia's Math: A Play
According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:
  1. Hypatia or The Divine Algebra by Mac Wellman
  2. Agora by Alejandro Amenábar (writer and director) / Mateo Gil (writer)
  3. Hypatia: New Foes with an Old Face by Charles Kingsley
  4. Partition by Ira Hauptman
  5. Lovesong of the Electric Bear by Snoo Wilson (playwright)
  6. Ada's Room by Sharon Dodo Otoo
  7. Mandelbrot the Magnificent by Liz Ziemska
  8. To Rise No More by Marie Brennan
  9. Fermat's Last Tango by Joanne Sydney Lessner / Joshua Rosenblum
  10. The Fairytale of the Completely Symmetrical Butterfly by Dietmar Dath
Ratings for Hypatia's Math: A Play:
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.
(unrated)

PLEASE HELP US OUT BY ENTERING YOUR OWN RATINGS FOR THIS WORK.

Categories:
GenreHistorical Fiction, Fantasy,
MotifReal Mathematicians, Female Mathematicians,
Topic
MediumPlays,

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)