The Best Writing on Mathematics 2013

The fourth volume in this unique annual anthology offers plenty to interest even the most math-phobic of readers. Pitici, who teaches mathematics and writing at Cornell University, has selected 20 essays that run the gamut from biology and social networking to topology and market contingency, with the focus on how math can be used to reveal new insights into real world events. Randomness is the theme of several articles, including Donald Knuth's exploration of how randomness enhances music, Soren Johnson's look at the use of "luck" and randomness in video game design, and Charles Seife's claim that the human brain's in-built need to identify patterns also makes it difficult for us to deal with randomness. Mathematics' aesthetic role is also explored, as Kelly Delp's "High Fashion Meets Higher Mathematics" offers a fascinating look into how topology helped designers at Issey Miyake create new looks, while Daniel Silver explores the ways painter and printmaker Albrecht D%C3%BCrer used math in his art. Pitici has assembled a marvelously varied collection of essays and articles which show that math may begin inside an ivory tower, but it comes to rich and vivid life in the real world. (Jan.)