Mathematics in Twentieth-Century Literature & Art: Content, Form, Meaning

The author of What Is a Number? examines the relationship between mathematics and art and literature of the 20th century.

During the twentieth century, many artists and writers turned to abstract mathematical ideas to help them realize their aesthetic ambitions. Man Ray, Marcel Duchamp, and, perhaps most famously, Piet Mondrian used principles of mathematics in their work. Was it coincidence, or were these artists following their instincts, which were ruled by mathematical underpinnings, su...