#893 Sarah Hart - Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature
RECORDED ON SEPTEMBER 25th 2023.
Dr. Sarah Hart is an Emerita Professor of Mathematics at Birkbeck, University of London. Educated at Oxford and Manchester, Dr. Hart is also the thirty-third Gresham Professor of Geometry, the first woman to hold the position since its inception in 1597. She is the author of Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature.
In this episode, we focus on Once Upon a Prime. We talk about the connection between mathematics and literature in several different dimensions, including the structure of literary texts; poetry, and rhyme schemes; plots and narrative choices in novels; numbers used in fiction; turns of phrase, metaphors, and allusions; mathematical themes, and stereotypes of mathematicians; and the idea of mathematics itself. Finally, we discuss the messages of the book.
Time Links:
Intro
The connection between mathematics and literature
The structure of literary texts
Poetry, and rhyme schemes
Plots and narrative choices in novels
Numbers used as symbols in fiction
Turns of phrase, metaphors, and allusions
Mathematical themes, and stereotypes of mathematicians
The idea of mathematics itself
The messages of the book
Follow Dr. Hart’s work!
Follow Dr. Hart’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/47H3i2g
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/44n7xxd
Once Upon a Prime: https://bit.ly/44gHYgZ
Twitter handle: @sarahlovesmaths