Lost in the Math Museum

In the charming science-fiction/fantasy book, Lost in the Math Museum: A Survival Story, author Colin Adams shares his joy in the beauty of mathematics. Drawing on favorite results in analysis, topology, set theory, number theory, and other areas of mathematics, Adams weaves an attractive story of a (normal) 16-year-old girl, her mathematics professor father, his mathematics professor friend, and an annoying mathematician. Unlike the case in many mathematics stories, the tale itself is of interest and the characters are plausible. I’ve even known someone like the unpleasant character!

 

The 23 chapters of the story follow one after another, without interruption of additional mathematical detail and exercises to ponder, which are instead placed in 23 appendices. The exercises are intriguing and appropriate.

 

Adams suggests that this book would be a good choice for a math club or a book club at either the high school or college level. I agree—it’s sure to lead to interesting discussions. This would be a fine gift for someone who wonders why you are interested in mathematics. And you yourself will enjoy seeing the presentation of many of your favorite mathematical theorems and objects in this story.

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Joel Haack is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Northern Iowa.