MathFiction: Rumpled Stiltskin (Colin Adams)

a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)

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Rumpled Stiltskin (2004)

Colin Adams
(click on names to see more mathematical fiction by the same author)
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Do you remember the old Fractured Fairy Tales segment on Rocky and Bullwinkle in which classic stories were updated with a twist? This is just like those. The old Grimm's Brother tale is retold, but rather than turning straw into gold, the young woman is promised to be able to turn coffee into theorems, building on the famous ErdÅ‘s quote.

Originally published as Mathematical Intelligencer Volume 26, Number 1 / March, 2004, it also appears in the 2009 collection Riot at the Calc Exam.....

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(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 Rumpled Stiltskin

According to my `secret formula', the following works of mathematical fiction are similar to this one:

A Proof of God by Colin Adams
Mangum, P.I. by Colin Adams
Into Thin Air by Colin Adams
The Gnome and the Pearl of Wisdom: A Fable by Richard Willmott
On Another Plane by Colin Adams
A Deprogrammer's Tale by Colin Adams
Mathematically Bent by Colin Adams
Pythagoras's Darkest Hour by Colin Adams
A Killer Theorem by Colin Adams
Monster by Alex Kasman

Ratings for Rumpled Stiltskin:

Ratings

Have 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:
3/5 (2 votes)

Categories:

Genre	Humorous,
Motif	Academia, Proving Theorems, Female Mathematicians,
Topic	Algebra/Arithmetic/Number Theory,
Medium	Short 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)