a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)
a list compiled by Alex Kasman (College of Charleston)
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| The Reverend Peter Hampson Ditchfield (1854-1930) was the author of many novels and histories, including this odd piece that claims to be compiled from the lecture notes and diaries of a "lady professor", which must have been a very odd idea at the time. Many explicit formulas and references to things such as conic sections attest to the fact that the "lady" (as well as the author) really knows something about math, but I suppose the fact that she keeps addressing questions of culture and politics through them are supposed to be a nod to her "feminine" side.
The author's intentions are obscure today, but I have been convinced by Amber Cheslak, a student in my Math in Fiction course, that Ditchfield was in fact parodying the notion that a woman could do mathematics. Her ideas are intended to seem quaint at best (certainly not brilliant), and the conclusion in which she quits her academic job to marry a former student is probably supposed to represent a return to the natural order of the universe. |
| More information about this work can be found at www.archive.org. |
| (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.) |
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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)
