Book Launch: Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature
When:
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Venue:
Birkbeck Central
Sarah Hart, a respected mathematician, and Professor of Mathematics at Birkbeck, University of London, has just released her debut book "Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature", published by Flatiron Books in the US and HarperCollins in the UK.
Once Upon a Prime explores the connection between mathematics and literature. The book explores the presence of geometry in Moby-Dick, mathematical references in James Joyce's stream-of-consciousness novels, George Eliot's obsession with statistics, and the fractal patterns that underpin Jurassic Park.
It has been reviewed in The New York Times, The Economist, The Sunday Times, The Observer, and The Washington Post, among others.
We are delighted to invite you to a book launch on Thursday 22 June, where we will host an in-conversation with the author Professor Sarah Hart hosted by Dr Pamela Yeow, Assistant Dean of External Engagement. A drinks reception will be held after the discussion and you will have an opportunity to meet the author and receive a signed copy of the book.
Itinerary
6.15pm Registration and welcome drink
6.30pm Professor Sarah Hart (author) in conversation with Dr Pam Yeow (discussant)
7:00pm Q&A from the audience
7.15pm Book signing and drinks reception
8.30pm END
Book abstract
Mathematics and literature are often considered polar opposites, but what if, instead, they are fundamentally linked? In this insightful, laugh-out-loud funny book, Professor Sarah Hart shows us the myriad connections between maths and literature, and how understanding these connections can enhance our enjoyment of both.
Did you know, for instance, that Moby-Dick is full of sophisticated geometry? That James Joyce's stream-of-consciousness novels are deliberately checkered with mathematical references? That George Eliot was obsessed with statistics? That Jurassic Park is undergirded by fractal patterns? That Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie wrote mathematician characters. From sonnets to fairytales to experimental French literature, Once Upon a Prime takes us on an unforgettable journey through the books we thought we knew, revealing new layers of beauty and wonder. Professor Hart shows how maths and literature are complementary parts of the same quest, to understand human life and our place in the universe.
Once Upon a Prime takes you on an unforgettable journey through literature exploring the connection with mathematics. The book is available to purchase from major bookstores and online.
About the Author
Sarah Hart is Professor of Mathematics at Birkbeck College (University of London). Educated at Oxford and Manchester, Professor Hart is the 33rd person and first ever woman to hold the Gresham Professorship of Geometry, the oldest mathematics chair in the UK.
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