Math Girls--A Book Review

Book Review Math Girls Reviewed by Mari Abe and Mei Kobayashi Math Girls mathematics, the Hiroshi Yuki (translated by Tony Gonzalez) user-friendliness of Bento Books, 2011 the book, and its US$24.99, 304 pages cheerful and play- ISBN-13: 978-0983951315 ful prose make Math Girls an enjoyable When we were asked to review Math Girls, trans- read for a person lated from the Japanese novel 数学ガール, we with an inquisitive were unsure how to respond. A cursory glance at mind and math- the cover of the book might lead naïve prospec- ematical inclination. tive readers to assume it is a pro-math book to We do caution inspire young women to pursue a career in the that Math Girls is mathematical sciences. A quick search on the not for everyone, Internet retrieved a comic book series and some particularly those free downloadable short stories. We wondered who have little in- whether it might be an adaptation of a strange terest in or affinity manga (Japanese comic book). Our curiosity was for mathematics. The works of ancient Greek further piqued on finding that many of our female philosophers, scientists, and mathematicians form colleagues had received copies of the book as a gift a leitmotif in the book, and some readers might from their husbands (who appear to be greater fans find it fun to ferret out the clues and allusions of the book than are their wives). So we decided to these works; those readers who are interested to dive in. only in mathematics or are unfamiliar with Greek We hope our review will answer some questions that came to our minds before reading philosophy can remain oblivious to the references the book. Will this tremendously popular Japa- and still find much to enjoy. To help determine the nese book enjoy the same success and appeal suitability of the book as a gift, we provide a brief with the American (or English-speaking) reader- background sketch of the author, profiles of the ship? Or will that special something, that je ne characters, and remarks on the mathematical pre- sais quoi, be lost in translation? Does the book sentation. We do not summarize the mathematical 1 successfully bridge cultural differences (American- content, as it is available in the table of contents. Japanese, male-female)? Can a male writer por- Background of the Author tray young females engaging in mathematical dialog in a positive, exciting, and realistic light? Hiroshi Yuki was an established author of books on Is the title appropriate? Or was it selected to be computer science until a series of vignettes posted intentionally misleading? By the conclusion of on a whim on his website were serendipitously the book, most of these questions seemed less discovered by interested readers. In response to relevant. The journey to the magical world of requests from fans, he compiled the stories into a book, Math Girls. The overwhelming positive response to the book was highly unusual for a book Mari Abe and Mei Kobayashi are researchers at IBM Re- search in Tokyo. Their email addresses are respectively [email protected] and [email protected]. 1 The table of contents is available for browsing online at DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1090/noti886 http://www.amazon.com. 956 NOTICES OF THE AMS VOLUME 59, NUMBER 7 about mathematics. According to the publisher,2 we read on, we find four main characters in the Math Girls is “currently in its eighteenth printing book, each of whom embodies characteristics that in Japan, and has been one of the top 5 general ancient Greeks associated with the elements. The interest mathematics books on amazon.com.jp name Tetra also references Empedocles’ book Tet- since its original release in 2007.” rasomia, or Doctrine of the Four Elements, in which A new Math Girls novel is being published al- the ancient Sicilian (Greek) philosopher, scientist, most annually (in Japanese), with each subsequent and healer proposed, “All matter is comprised of novel covering more advanced material. Major four ‘roots’ or elements of earth, air, fire and water topics covered in the second volume are number … the interaction of (which) is influenced by the theory, abstract algebra (groups, rings, and fields), relationship between the two great life energies methods of proof, Euler’s identity, and Fermat’s of Love and Strife.”3 The two characters who com- last theorem. The third volume introduces the plete the world of four elements are Mr. Muraki, Peano axioms, sets and logic, limits, trigonom- the mathematics teacher, and Mrs. Mizutani, the etry, and Gödel’s incompleteness theorems; and librarian. the fourth, some topics from probability and The young and pure Tetra, who inspires the nar- mathematics in computer science, leading up to rator in his math work, is the embodiment of air, a discussion of randomized algorithms. Japanese which the Greeks regarded as a universal power comic books based on Math Girls have also been and pure substance. Miruka is the embodiment of published, each featuring the imaginative talent of fire, an element said to provide clarity and com- a different artist. The publisher hopes to release monly associated with energy, assertiveness, and an English translation of Math Girls manga and the passion. Mrs. Mizutani is the embodiment of water, second novel in the series within the next twelve an element associated with binding and separation. months. We review here the first Math Girls book Tetra and/or Miruka and the narrator often meet published in 2007. in the library, whose caretaker, Mrs. Mizutani, dismisses (and separates) them at closing time. Overview of the Plot and Profile of Mr. Kimura is the embodiment of earth, an element Characters associated with seasons, crops, and fertility. He Math Girls can be viewed as a collection of conver- assigns new math problems that serve as catalysts sations between high school students about how that drive meetings between the narrator and the to solve mathematics problems that require deep Math Girls (Miruka and Tetra). A Japanese reader thought. Each chapter focuses on an historically would immediately realize Mr. Muraki’s association significant problem which (in some cases) can be with earth from his name, which means village tree, solved via more than one approach. In addition to and Mrs. Mizutani’s association with water, since tutoring readers on how to solve math problems, her name means valley of water. the conversations between the students provide Three minor characters contribute to the boy- examples of how to think about mathematics, ap- girl/girl-boy subplots. AyAy is a talented pianist proaches for tackling new problems, and ways to who is the president of Fortissimo, the school understand difficulties associated with learning. piano club. She is introduced to us when she gives The protagonist (and narrator) is an awkward a duet recital with Miruka. The Japanese word ay male teenager who loves mathematics and has (more commonly spelled ai) has several different limited experience conversing with girls. He is meanings depending on the Japanese character. simultaneously flattered and bewildered when a It can mean love, meet, companion, or play pal young, confident female math whiz named Miruka (when combined with the character for play) or lavishes attention on him in the form of math- the indigo (blue) color or dye.4 A second minor ematical puzzles and quizzes. In the naming of this character, the author has invoked a typical play 3T. Marks (1998), Elemental: The four elements—from on words by the Japanese. Although the Japanese Ancient Greek Science and Philosophy to Poetry, http:// written characters differ, the pronunciations for www.webwinds.com/thalassa/elemental.htm. Ac- the name Miruka and the phrase “Will you take a cessed 16 Dec 2011. look at this?!” are identical. 4In the original Japanese book, AyAy was named EiEi Separately and equally unexpectedly, the pro- (エイエイ). Its pronunciation would be puzzling for Ameri- tagonist is approached by an awkward younger cans and would lead some to recall lyrics from Old girl named Tetra, who is interested in mathematics MacDonald’s farm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ but suffers from a lack of confidence. Her intro- Old_McDonald_Had_a_Farm). In Japanese there are sev- duction and the protagonist’s follow-up question, eral characters that are pronounced Ei. For example, in “As in mono-, di-, tri-?” hint at the four elements Japanese, eiei is an onomatopoeic word thought to evoke the sound of cheering (rooting) for someone or something. from ancient Greece: earth, air, fire, and water. As Alternatively, it can mean English, the first letter of the al- phabet A, or to reflect or project (and is the first character 2Bento Books website: http://bentobooks.com/ for the compound word used for movie), or it can serve as 2011/09/math-girls-publication-announcement/. the first character of the two-character word for nutrition. Accessed 6 Dec 2011. AUGUST 2012 NOTICES OF THE AMS 957 character, Kaito,5 a friend and classmate, provides For reasons we may only venture to guess, the a pair of tickets to a planetarium, which the narra- name of the narrator remains a mystery through tor uses to take Tetra for what was intended to be the entire book, perhaps suggesting that he can be a date (she falls asleep in the dark). In Japanese, any adolescent male. Omission of a name and clear kaito can have several meanings depending on identity helps readers travel to the mathematical the characters used in written form. Two common world of the narrator and empathize with his spellings consist of two characters, the first being challenges. sea (ocean) and the second, the constellation Ursa Some readers may become weary of the girl-boy Major or the character to soar (fly).

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