MA 111: Mathematics as a Liberal Art

Required Textbooks


  • Gardner, Martin. The New Ambidextrous Universe. Third Revised Edition, 2005. Dover Publications.
    This book will also be on reserve in the library.

  • Weyl, Hermann. Symmetry. 1980. Princeton University Press.
    This book will also be on reserve in the library. However, I recommend you purchase your own copy as this will be among the most challenging reading in the course.

  • Abbott, Edwin. Flatland. Introduction by Thomas Banchoff. 1991. Princeton University Press.
    There are many editions of the book available, including some which are online. It doesn't matter very much which edition you use. However, life will be easier for all of us if you use the edition I've listed here. If you use a different edition, it is your responsibility to figure out how the page numbers of your edition correspond to the edition I am using.

  • Devlin, Keith. The Unfinished Game. 2008. Basic Books.
    This book will also be on reserve in the library.

  • Course Reader. This reader will contain a large number of essays and articles which will be useful to us in the course. It will cost approximately $60.
    It may be possible for you to share this reader with someone else in the course.
Background Image from Dror Bar-Natan.