Stories for 'Mathematicians - Emotions'

Sorted by date of original publication

Regrets of a Cantab

John Cowley

Added May 22, 2024.
Originally published Dec, 1825.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A very long, poignant stream of thoughts and regrets of an older mathematician. The piece can easily pass off as fiction, though we should note that this is NOT a work of mathematical fiction but written by a Senior Wrangler from Cambridge in early nineteenth century. It is "Potential Mathfiction".
The Young Arithmetician (The Young Mathematician) (The Reward of Perseverance)

Anonymous

Added May 22, 2024.
Originally published Dec, 1832.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A young girl for whom Arithmetic had been the bane of life found new inspiration to master her father’s accounting statements…
Fruits of Perseverance

Anonymous

Added May 25, 2024.
Originally published Jan, 1841.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A very young child’s first struggle at writing and learning about numbers, and his inspiration to do better…
The Old Mathematician - A Sketch from the Life

Dinah Maria Muloch

Added May 25, 2024.
Originally published March, 1848.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A very moving tale of a nameless mathematician’s toils in lifelong pursuit of his craft, and the few moments of true joy he experienced for a love he never expressed nor let be known…
The Old Mathematician (from Maschalk Manor)

Anonymous

Added May 25, 2024.
Originally published Sep, 1848.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A very amusing story of a mathematician who retires in a small hamlet amongst very simple people who are far from mathematical ideas, and ones who find his scholarship to be the kind around which legends should be spun… For fans of “Cheers”, sometimes you want to go where nobody knows your name…
Porter Piper The Mathematician

Anonymous

Added May 25, 2024.
Originally published July, 1849.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A listless recounting of the life of a mathematician, to no particular end.
The Young Philosopher - A Sketch for Parents

Sylvanus Cobb Jr

Added May 25, 2024.
Originally published Jul, 1852.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A short work which highlights the prevailing scholastic attitude in the early nineteenth century, with apathy toward finer subjects like philosophy in favor of harder sciences.
The Man of Forty Crowns

Voltaire

Added May 25, 2024.
Originally published 1868.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
- Financial Mathematics
A wide-ranging discussion between a land-owner and a mathematically-oriented economics scholar in the mid-eighteenth century France.
The Shadow of the God

Charles Newman Hall

Added May 26, 2024.
Originally published 1900.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
- Trigonometry
How mathematics saves the day in old Mexico, with love as a further reward…
A Mathematician's Love Story

James Aitken

Added May 18, 2024.
Originally published 1901.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
First loves last a lifetime…. As seen in this story of a mathematician in the age of innocence…
The Ghosts

Lord Dunsany

Added May 26, 2024.
Originally published Oct, 1908.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
- Euclidean Geometry
How the rationality of Euclid’s geometry prevented a hallucinating brother from murder…
The Triangular House (La Casa Triangular)

Ramon Gomez de la Serna

Added Jun 1, 2024.
Originally published Oct, 1925.
A very well-written story about a man who builds a triangular house, with a mathematical formula which leads to the revelation of an illicit affair and the participants in the affair…
Say Wen

Ellis Parker Butler

Added Jun 5, 2024.
Originally published Oct, 1930.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A ticklish story about an eight-year old genius made the top shot at the mathematics department of a college…
Hidden in Glass

Paul Ernst

Added Jun 6, 2024.
Originally published Apr, 1931.
- Other Dimensions
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A murder mystery set up using clever optics and some hand-waving about the fourth dimension.
Pre-Vision

John Pierce

Added May 31, 2024.
Originally published Mar, 1936.
- Maxwell Equations
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A clever idea poorly executed, utilizing a mathematical solution to Maxwell’s equations as a basis for building a time-viewer to peer into the near-future…
Through the Blackboard

Joel Townsley Rogers

Added Jun 6, 2024.
Originally published Jun, 1943.
- Other Dimensions
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A kind-of magic realism merging with a higher-dimension side of pulp stories to create an amusing tale.
Window to the Past

Chester Geier

Added Jun 9, 2024.
Originally published Aug, 1950.
- Other Dimensions
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A trans-dimensional love story with a poignant back-story and an appropriate ending.
The Mathematician's Nightmare - The Vision of Professor Squarepunt

Bertrand Russell

Added Jun 9, 2024.
Originally published 1954.
A dream sequence where Numbers come alive and argue about their individual importance, with the number 137 taking on a special oratory role…
Uncle Buno

William Temple

Added Feb 6, 2025.
Originally published November, 1955.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
This narrative is centered around the character Paul and his relationship with Uncle Buno, who plays a significant role in shaping Paul's understanding of art, mathematics, and navigation. Throughout the text, we see Paul's struggles with self-doubt and frustration, particularly in his academic pursuits, as well as his emotional turmoil stemming from familial relationships, the quest for self-acceptance, and the complexities of growing up. The narrative ultimately reflects on the importance of perception, both in art and in life, suggesting that understanding and appreciation can transform one's experiences.
The Heart on the Other Side

George Gamow

Added Dec 9, 2024.
Originally published Oct, 1962.
- Mobius Strip
- Mathematicians - Emotions
This whimsical tale is about a mathematician Stan Situs who is seeking an approval from his girlfriend Vera’s father for their marriage. Stan proposes a revolutionary shoe manufacturing process using a Mobius twist, which he believes will allow for the production of only right-footed shoes that can be converted into left-footed ones. After a perilous journey to the Amazon, Stan returns with only right shoes, but discovers he has become a mirror image of himself, resulting in humorous and unexpected challenges. The Mobius strip symbolizes the complexity and interconnectedness of life, suggesting that appearances can be deceiving, much like Stan’s transformation into a mirror image. It also emphasizes the potential for scientific inquiry to revolutionize everyday life, even in unexpected ways.
Sword Game

H H Hollis (Ben Neal Ramsey)

Added Sep 10, 2024.
Originally published Apr, 1968.
A topologist shows how to trap living things, including unwanted lovers, inside a tessaract.
Q.E.D.

Jack Eric Morpurgo

Added Sep 12, 2024.
Originally published Dec, 1977.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A short story about a mathematician whose love for mathematics helps him survive the war.
The Engineer of Moonlight

Don Delillo

Added Sep 26, 2024.
Originally published 1979.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
The narrative unfolds on a sun deck where three characters—Diana, James, and Maya—engage in contemplative dialogue interspersed with reflections on their lives and relationships. At the center of their discussions is Eric Lighter, a mathematician and Diana's ex-husband, who is grappling with the effects of mental health challenges. As the characters absorb the warmth of their surroundings, themes of memory, existential reflection, and the passage of time emerge,particularly through Diana's yearning to understand Eric's recent struggles and the transformative nature of their shared histories. The conversation primarily consists of witty exchanges on such subjects as education, religion, the need for sunscreen, society's way of handling people with mental disorders, and some "cringy" discussions about human race.Mathematics plays no role in regards to the plot besides the stereotypes that connect mathematics with both intelligence and insanity.
Rent Control

Tevis Walter

Added Sep 26, 2024.
Originally published Oct, 1979.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A short story about two lovers, Terry and Edith, who experience profound intimacy and emotional release during therapy sessions, leading to improved relations and personal growth.However, they discover that time has seemingly stopped around them, as their clocks freeze and the outside world becomes motionless. As they navigate their relationship and the challenges of their rent-controlled apartment, they become aware of a deeper mystery involving time manipulation, suggesting a blend of love and science fiction.
Intersections

John Ford

Added Sep 26, 2024.
Originally published Oct, 1981.
- Time Travel
- Mathematicians - Emotions
The story about how a Captain named Roy Kramer,w ho is an air corps pilot in a corporation that offers flight simulations of historical battles, gets unexpectedly trapped in an alternate universe where he encounters a mysterious fog and an airfield filled with British pilots from World War II, and how he navigates these challenges while dealing with the implications of time travel and love. This narrative blends elements of science fiction, mathematics, adventure, and romance, exploring the consequences of one's actions across different timelines.
The Girl Who Loved Mathematics

Smithers Elizabeth

Added Sep 22, 2024.
Originally published 1988.
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A sad tale of a college girl, Gilberte, who has a penchant for mathematics, a quality which she inherited from her father. Gilberte has thoughts of being with “someone quiet and dreamy, who will smile when you mention the pleasure of numbers. Someone from the same field to talk projective geometry with in the evenings". But she gets married to the first man she met at a dance, has five children, and ends up unning a fish and chip shop.
Journey into a Dark Heart

Peter Hoeg

Added Aug 26, 2024.
Originally published 1990.
- Incompleteness
- Mathematicians - Emotions
A story about a young depressed mathematician, who faces trouble coming to terms with the uncertainty of mathematics.