The literary prizes awarded at the Tangente Awards are not our magazine's only initiatives bringing mathematics and literature together. In recent years, these have included the publication of issue 28 in the Bibliothèque Tangente special-edition series, "Mathématiques et littérature", the creation of Clamath (the club for booksellers who love maths), and countless book reviews in our various issues, now available online free of charge (see box). We have also supported interdisciplinary competitions\, encouraged interdisciplinary classroom projects at every level, particularly through the magazine Tangente Éducation*—initiatives that have become even more relevant since the reform of French middle schools…
Of particular note are the features published in the latest issues (36 and 37) of Tangente Éducation; the latest is freely available on the Tangente Éducation website. They offer a compelling case, as well as concrete evidence of a striking realization. Combining mathematics and literature can awaken a taste for maths in many people who have yet to discover it, while also benefiting those who already love maths, both mathematically and literarily.
The "novel in maths class" experiment described on page 12—in which a mathematics teacher and his colleague who teaches French wrote the novel—is so impressive that Éditions POLE has decided to publish low-cost classroom sets of 25 to 30 copies of "Le testament de Newton", enabling entire classes to reproduce the experiment (excerpts are available on Infinimath).
This issue also shows that efforts to bring the two disciplines together have recently gathered even greater momentum, with several major initiatives converging.
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LittéraMath: a new reference point
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These initiatives are the fruit of collaboration between several leading organizations. The first, and probably the most important, is aimed equally at the general public, students and teachers. Created through a meeting between the teams at Tangente, the IREM network (Institutes for Research on Mathematics Teaching), the APMEP (association of mathematics teachers) and the Publimath website, it produced a list of the main books to recommend to enthusiasts of mathematical culture, according to their level. Initially containing just over a hundred titles, the list is divided into three main categories according to its intended readership: suitable for middle school students, suitable for high school students, and general readers.
Make no mistake: these are certainly not textbooks or technical books, but books exploring mathematics and mathematical culture in all kinds of forms, from novels to comics, essays to biographies, popular science books to puzzle books… The chosen name? LittéraMath.
The list will be updated regularly to reflect both the availability of titles and new releases, keeping it to a manageable size and avoiding a fresh dilemma over which titles are worth acquiring. Its purpose is clear: to help people choose—individual readers as well as documentation specialists and librarians, who often lack sufficient knowledge of the field to make a well-informed selection on their own. A charter setting out objective criteria ensures that all publishers are treated equally. The list is available on the websites of all the partners mentioned above. It appears in two places on Tangente's websites: on Infinimath and in the online bookshop.
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In Paris libraries in January and February
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Helping librarians acquire books about mathematical culture is therefore one of LittéraMath's aims. By an extraordinary coincidence, Paris Bibliothèque, the association that sets policy for the City of Paris's 90 libraries, had, at the same time, become aware of public demand for this kind of publication. It decided to create a mathematics event in January and February 2017. Tangente will naturally be a partner in this initiative, which will offer a different way to discover mathematics through talks, documentary screenings, performances, exhibitions, workshops and—of course—books. A free programme for all, open to everyone.
Our readers will not be surprised by the names of most of those taking part in these mini-events, which will be held at nearly 40 venues and are intended, depending on the event, for either adults or young people.
An engraving by Patrice Jeener, Calabi–Yau surface.
The full programme will be available shortly\*, but here is a taste of what is planned:
\- Young people: "Maths and magic" workshops with Mickaël Launay (Vaclav Havel Library, 18th arrondissement), "Mathematics around the world" workshop with Exploradôme (André Malraux Library, 6th arrondissement), puzzle bar (La Canopée Library, 1st arrondissement), random lecture by Mickaël Launay (Andrée Chedid Library, 15th arrondissement), …
\- Adults: "What do algorithms dream about?" lecture by Dominique Cardon (Hélène Berr Media Library, 12th arrondissement), exhibition, documentary screening and meeting with Patrice Jeener (Vaugirard Library, 15th arrondissement, and Germaine Tillion Library, 16th arrondissement), "Scientific Impromptus" performance by the company Le t de n-1 (Georges Brassens Library, 14th arrondissement), …
Enough to convince you that a taste for maths can be developed in libraries!
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\ Tangente* is a partner in, among other initiatives:
\- the Lewis Carroll Trophy organized by the FFJM (French Federation of Mathematical Games)
\- the Archimède competition for middle school students, which has just added French to the subjects already covered (maths, biology, history and geography).
\* See the programme on Paris Bibliothèques or contact the association by telephone on 01 44 78 80 50)
