The Mischief of Math: A Creative Combination of Stories & Mathematical Concepts

Instead of an creating an ordinary math book, the authors chose to use short stories and comic strips in the book.

Image Caption: The Mischief of Math – Book release, from right to left: Inavamsi Enaganti (Author), Prof. R. Balasubramanian (Former Director, IMSc), Prof. Madhavan Mukund (Director, Chennai Mathematical Institute), Prof. M. S. Ananth (Former Director, IIT Madras), Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala (Former President, IIT Madras Research Park), and Nivedita Ganesh (Author) at the Chennai Mathematical Institute.

Source: Inavamsi Enaganti (Author) and Nivedita Ganesh (Author)

Chennai Mathematical Institute Auditorium hosted an inspiring event where authors Nivedita Ganesh and Inavamsi Enaganti along with Professor Bud Mishra unleashed their new book, The Mischief of Math: Short Stories of Clowns, Contortionists, and Court-Jesters. This fascinating book, written by Ganesh and Enaganti, is illustrated by Alex Lu, and it was produced under the guidance of Professor Mishra of New York University. This storytelling, art-infused book, by itself humor and wit infused, will give a new look to many mathematical concepts, making math accessible and enjoyable.

Instead of an ordinary math book, the authors managed to come up with something unique-an adventure through short stories and comic strips. Those unexpected creations make the complex topics of artificial intelligence ethics, game theory, and detection of fake data not only more understandable but also fun for a broad audience that is typically intimidated by math.

Highlights from the Book

It is designed for readers who would otherwise shy away from the often dry, complex textbooks. Listed in Library of Congress and British library catalogs, this textbook has been adopted for undergraduate students at New York University. Highly recommended for fans of Maths Olympiad.

"This is the textbook I wish I'd had growing up! An invitation to discover the beauty and chaos of data-driven stories, making this a must-read for young and old thinkers alike!"

Nivedita Ganesh, Author

"If no one from the future returns to stop us writing this book, then it must be the right thing to do. That is, we wanted to show that mathematics, which is considered rational, can be fun and mischievous."

Inavamsi Enaganti, Author

Mischief of Math is not another math book, but an innovative effort at making mathematical theories entertaining through stories, poems, and vibrant illustrations.

Book Launching Event

Several notable personalities were present at the launch event, including Mr. M S Ananth, former Director of IIT-Madras and the Herdillia Award winner as Chief Guest; and as a Guest of Honour, Padma Shri Professor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, an accomplished academician and former President of IIT-Madras Research Park and Professor Madhav Mukund, Director, Chennai Mathematical Institute.

Mr M S Ananth, chief guest at the programme, congratulated the authors on this very innovative contribution to mathematical literature. "There is a vibrant illustration by Alex Lu on virtually every page of the book, adding visual flair to the riveting narratives," he said. This book is a valuable resource for anyone over the age of 15 and will certainly change the way people look at mathematics, he remarked.

In an interview, one of the coauthors, Nivedita Ganesh said: "Our intention was to make math more accessible and interesting so that it could challenge the boundaries of literature and make complex ideas come alive in contemporary contexts".

The excitement continues as The Mischief of Math gears up for its next launch in Bangalore at IIM Bangalore on 21 September, 2024. The event has as its Chief Guest Professor Y Narahari, former Director of the Centre for Brain Research and Ex-Dean of EECS at IISc. All math enthusiasts, educators, and curious minds are cordially invited.

What Sets The Mischief of Math Apart?

The book actually breaks down complicated mathematical ideas into cute little whimsical stories which dispel many of the common paradoxes, myths and fallacies in a quite creative and playful manner, thus combining math with storytelling as it appeals to readers who might otherwise be reluctant to dive into those traditionally dense texts. During the COVID-19 pandemic era, Nivedita Ganesh and Inavamsi Enaganti work-shopped under the mentorship of Professor Bud Mishra research papers on biases in clinical trials and policies during the making of pandemics, one of which happened to be in the exclusive journal of the National Academy of Inventors. Eventually, this successful collaboration led to a book deal for a math textbook, but their writing style wasn't hackneyed enough for that kind of text. Inspired by Knuth's Surreal Numbers, they chose to couple mathematics with a tale. Written across three countries with the illustrator working remotely, The Mischief of Math takes on hot topics in the world today, such as ethics in AI and detection of fake data, which makes the book relevant and engaging today.

Get to Know the Authors of The Mischief of Math:

· Nivedita Ganesh: Research fellow at IITM Research Park and the symbiosis of art and science through novel approaches.

· Inavamsi Enaganti: Director of Param Science Centre devoted to popularizing science and mathematics among commoners.

· Bud Mishra: Professor at New York University, with great recognition in Bio-Informatics, cyber security, and computational finance among others.

· Alex Lu: An illustrator and artist with a bright imagination. Ensured the inevitable cacophony of math concepts thrown at unsuspecting readers is translated into their faces through his imaginative illustrations.

To learn more about the book, visit www.mischiefofmath.com