Math Reading Challenge discussion
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2020 Math Challenge Reading List
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Posting my start and planning to fill in as I go.1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician
2. A math-related book published the year you were born:
Foundation
3. A biography of a mathematician
4. A math book that helps you make something
5. A book with a number in the title
6. A book related to number theory
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians
9. A book about connections between math and the arts:
Mathematics: The Science of Patterns: The Search for Order in Life, Mind and the Universe
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math
1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician
The Dispossessed (read)
2. A math-related book published the year you were born
Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
I've been wanting to read this for ages (although it is a bit intimidating) so was pleased to find that it was published in 1979.
3. A biography of a mathematician
Love and Math: The Heart of Hidden Reality
4. A math book that helps you make something
5. A book with a number in the title
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea (read)
Because I happened to find it on my mother-in-law's bookshelf when I was staying with her over new year.
6. A book related to number theory
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians
Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth (read)
9. A book about connections between math and the arts
Music: A Mathematical Offering
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math
Mathematics for Human Flourishing
Oo, this makes more sense than spamming each thread separately.1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician - JPod (Limited Maths characterisation! May need to revisit this with another title.)
2. A math-related book published the year you were born - Mathematical Magic Show.
3. A biography of a mathematician : The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom (read)
4. A math book that helps you make something - Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking (read)
5. A book with a number in the title - The 39 Steps (read)
6. A book related to number theory - Elliptic Tales: Curves, Counting, and Number Theory (read)
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman - Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts (read)
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians - The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage seems to come highly recommended (read)
9. A book about connections between math and the arts - considering Opt Art: From Mathematical Optimization to Visual Design
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes - Math Talk: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two Voices
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians - Murderous Maths
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math - Math with Bad Drawings (read)
Mod
√1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician The Tenth Muse
√2. A math-related book published the year you were born Alan Turing: The Enigma
3. A biography of a mathematician A Convergence of Lives: Sofia Kovalevskaia - Scientist, Writer, Revolutionary
4. A math book that helps you make something
√5. A book with a number in the title Twelve Moons
√6. A book related to number theory An Illustrated Theory of Numbers
√7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman Mathematics in India
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians
9. A book about connections between math and the arts
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes Strange Attractors: Poems of Love and Mathematics
√11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians I'm Trying to Love Math
√12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math Mathematics for Human Flourishing
1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician
2. A math-related book published the year you were born
3. A biography of a mathematician
4. A math book that helps you make something
5. A book with a number in the title
6. A book related to number theory
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians
9. A book about connections between math and the arts
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians
The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdős by Deborah Heiligman and LeUyen Pham
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math
reply | flag *
I'll update as I make more selections.1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician
2. A math-related book published the year you were born
3. A biography of a mathematician
4. A math book that helps you make something
5. A book with a number in the title
Tales of Impossibility: The 2000-Year Quest to Solve the Mathematical Problems of Antiquity (I might be cheating, by using the number in the subtitle, so I'm also reading The Fifth Risk, although maybe "fifth" doesn't count as a number.)
6. A book related to number theory
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians
The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage
9. A book about connections between math and the arts
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math
Infinite Powers: How Calculus Reveals the Secrets of the Universe
reply | flag *
Still working on my list.√ 1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician Charlie Thorne and the last equation & The Kiss Quotient
2. A math-related book published the year you were born. 3.1416 and all that
3. A biography of a mathematician The Man of Numbers: Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution
4. A math book that helps you make something
√ 5. A book with a number in the title One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance
6. A book related to number theory
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians The Cartoon Guide to Algebra
9. A book about connections between math and the arts
√ 10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes Math Talk: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two Voices
√ 11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians Bean Thirteen
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math
Enrique, I think that Fifth is a number; it's an ordinal number. Anyway, I also think you should read whichever book you like the best for that category. There are no "Title police". I'm going to see what these books are about, so thank you for sharing them.
1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician
2. A math-related book published the year you were born
3. A biography of a mathematician
4. A math book that helps you make something
5. A book with a number in the title
6. A book related to number theory
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman...Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians
9. A book about connections between math and the arts
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math
1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician
- The Revolutions Trilogy by John Banville2. A math-related book published the year you were born - Groups and Symmetry by Mark Armstrong
3. A biography of a mathematician - John Napier: Life, Logarithms, and Legacy by Julian Havil
4. A math book that helps you make something - How to Fold It by Joseph O'Rourke
5. A book with a number in the title - 103 Trigonometry Problems: From the Training of the USA IMO Team by Titu Andreescu
6. A book related to number theory - 104 Number Theory Problems: From the Training of the USA IMO Team by Titu Andreescu
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman - Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students' Potential Through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching by Jo Boaler
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians - Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos Papadimitriou
9. A book about connections between math and the arts - Foundations of Diatonic Theory: A Mathematically Based Approach to Music Fundamentals by Timothy Johnson
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes - Strange Attractors: Poems of Love and Mathematics edited by Sarah Glaz and JoAnne Growney
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians - The Parrot's Theorem by Denis Guedj
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math - The Lady Tasting Tea: How Statistics Revolutionized Science in the Twentieth Century by David Salsburg
1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician:✔ The Blind Geometer (short story)
✔ The Simplest Equation (short story)
Division By Zero, by Ted Chiang (short story)
An Imaginary Tale: The Story of the Square Root of Minus One
2. A math-related book published the year you were born:
Keys to Infinity (1995)
3. A biography of a mathematician:
✘ Adventures of a mathematician
I Want to Be a Mathematician: An Automathography
4. A math book that helps you make something:
Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension
5. A book with a number in the title:
1995: The Year the Future Began
6. A book related to number theory:
Number Theory: A Very Short Introduction
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman:
How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians:
✔ Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth
9. A book about connections between math and the arts:
The Pattern Book: Fractals, Art and Nature
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes:
Strange Attractors: Poems of Love and Mathematics
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians:
✔ The Brain-Bending Basics
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math:
Maths in Minutes: 200 Key Concepts Explained in an Instant
1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician
2. A math-related book published the year you were born
3. A biography of a mathematician Emilie Du Chatelet: Daring Genius of the Enlightenment
4. A math book that helps you make something
5. A book with a number in the title - A History of Pi
6. A book related to number theory
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians
9. A book about connections between math and the arts
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math
1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician
The Housekeeper and the Professor *Sweet ToothSweet Tooth *
2. A math-related book published the year you were born
3. A biography of a mathematician
Tycho and Kepler: The Unlikely Partnership That Forever Changed Our Understanding of the Heavens
4. A math book that helps you make something
5. A book with a number in the title
6. A book related to number theory
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians
9. A book about connections between math and the arts
Math Art (Ornes)
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians
maybe Chasing Vermeer (Blue Bailliet book - I loved The Calder Game)
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math
1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician: "Division by Zero" from Stories of Your Life and Others2. A math-related book published the year you were born: please help if you know of good math-related books from 1989!
3. A biography of a mathematician
4. A math book that helps you make something
5. A book with a number in the title
6. A book related to number theory: The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman: Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians: Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth
9. A book about connections between math and the arts: Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes: The Infinitesimals
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math: Mathematics for Human Flourishing
Mod
Kenan wrote: "1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician: "Division by Zero" from Stories of Your Life and Others
2. A math-related book published the year you were born: ple..."
3 months, I can do this.1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician
✔2. A math-related book published the year you were born: Settlement of Polynesia - Parts were a bit dry, but i did enjoy reading the nearly 50-year-old source code for the simulations.
3. A biography of a mathematician
4. A math book that helps you make something
✔5. A book with a number in the title: Slaughterhouse-Five, or the Children's Crusade A new, surprisingly good graphic-novel adaptation of one of my favorite novels.
6. A book related to number theory
✔7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman: The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus: The Mathematics of Christmas
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians
9. A book about connections between math and the arts
✔10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes: Math Talk: Mathematical Ideas in Poems for Two Voices - I'll look for another one though, as i found this book deeply unsatisfying, both as math and as poetry.
✔11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians: Geometry and Topology: Fun, Hands-On Activities for Learning Math Tucked away some activities for math club, though I'll probably hold onto them until we can meet in person again.
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math
Okay, here goes. I'll update this as I go along. I've read 7 math-related books so far this year, but most of them don't satisfy the prompts.* 1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician: Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture: A Novel of Mathematical Obsession
2. A math-related book published the year you were born
3. A biography of a mathematician
*4. A math book that helps you make something: The Grapes of Math: How Life Reflects Numbers and Numbers Reflect Life The section on cycloids led to my buying a spirograph set and using it to make some cool pictures.
5. A book with a number in the title
6. A book related to number theory
* 7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman: The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians
* 9. A book about connections between math and the arts: Maybe cheating a bit on this one, but I'll count Chaos: Making a New Science for its chapter and illustrations on fractals/the Mandelbrot set
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes
11. A children's or YA book about math or mathematicians
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn't sure whether they like math
Math Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Kiss Quotient (other topics)The Settlement of Polynesia: A Computer Simulation (other topics)
Geometry and Topology: Fun, Hands-on Activities for Learning Math (other topics)
An Imaginary Tale: The Story of √-1 (other topics)
I Want to be a Mathematician: An Automathography (other topics)
More...
A tip I picked up from the Popsugar reading challenge Goodreads group (browser only): once you're done posting, click on the date/time in the upper right hand corner of your post, then bookmark it to easily get back to your post.
Below is the list of prompts you can cut and paste into your own posts.
1. A work of fiction in which a main character is a mathematician
2. A math-related book published the year you were born
3. A biography of a mathematician
4. A math book that helps you make something
5. A book with a number in the title
6. A book related to number theory
7. A nonfiction math book written by a woman
8. A graphic novel about math or mathematicians
9. A book about connections between math and the arts
10. A book of poetry with mathematical themes
11. A children’s or YA book about math or mathematicians
12. A math-related book you want to give to someone who isn’t sure whether they like math