Customer Reviews
Lewis Carroll in Numberland by Robin Wilson - By: K. Singh, 28 Oct 2008 
Review of Lewis Carrollin Numberland by Robin Wilson.
The book tells the story of Charles Dodgson who is better known as Lewis Carroll the author of various fictions such as Alicein Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass. The book is divided into eight fits & describes how Charles Dodgson was not just the writer of fictions but also a professional mathematician contributing to linear algebra, logic, mathematical puzzles, geometry etc. The book is essentially a biography of Charles Dodgson with a few opening quotes of Carroll's work.
Charles Dodgson was bornin 1832in Cheshire & studied at Oxford graduating with a first class honoursin 1854. One of his hintsin studying mathematics was:
"Never leave an unsolved difficulty behind. It is bound to haunt youin some proof or solution later on".
Wilson also describesin detail the great interest that Charles Dodgson tookin photography. He claims that Charles become one of the most important photographers of the 19th Century. The book is sprinkled with some of the images that Charles photographed throughout his life.
It is good to see that the author does not shy away from putting some of the mathematics that interested Charles Dodgson. The mathematicsin the book ranges from his defence of Euclid's Elements to his book on Elementary Treatise on Determinants. However his main interest wasin mathematical logicin which he wrote Symbolic Logic which was publishedin 1896. He also wrote various mathematical puzzles.
Over the last 100 years a lot has been written about Dodgson's interestin children normally suggesting something disturbing but Wilson refutes all these claims. I do wonder how the political correct will accommodate this refutation with the book containing photographs of young children taken by Dodgson.
Wilson describes how not only is Charles Dodgson a mathematician & an author but also a deeply religious man & a keen walker.
There are some real engaging stories about Charles Dodgson such as when he put a case for a Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxfordin 1868. However Oxford had to wait another 65 years before a Mathematical Institute was built.
Another fascinating story the author describes about Charles Dodgson is when his Oxford College (Christ Church) wasin financial difficulty. Dodgson proposed that his salary be lowered from £300/year to £200/year. In present day circumstances this would be an unthinkable (or even stupid) act!
In 1881 Dodgson, aged nearly 50, resigned his mathematical lectureship so that he could devote more time to writing books.
Charles Dodgson passed awayin 1898 aged nearly 66in Guildford.
The book is really well written with both characters, Charles Dodgson & Lewis Carroll, being described as a mathematician & an author of fiction.
The book can be hard to followin places if you are not familiar with A level mathematics but it is possible to skip these parts & maintain the flow of the book. It is a hard balance to strike between putting mathematics into a book like this which can lead to decreased sales & having no mathematics which would be a very serious omission. Robin Wilson has struck the right balance between these two conflicting notions.
Lewis Carroll in Numberland - By: Anonymous, 15 Oct 2008 Lewis Carrollin Numberland is writtenin the warm & witty style characteristic of Professor Robin Wilson. It is an excellent introduction to the mathematical interests & achievements of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (pron. Dodson!), aka Lewis Carroll, a man known much more for his Alice books than his mathematical prowess, which was considerable. It also gives something of the attitude & outlook of this most interesting man, the period he livedin & fin de siècle Oxford University.
If you're anything like me some of the more mathematical chapters will have you reaching for pen & paper, but that's certainly not mandatory, & there's plenty here for people who baulk at the mere mention of equations. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on logic & would recommend it to anyone who would like an introduction to this fascinating subject.
The style of the writing mirrors the playful & humorous style one associates with Carroll, a man who delightedin entertaining his friends, children & adults alike, with puzzles & games. The book is divided into short, easily digestible chapters -- which makes it perfect for the commute to work! A highly enjoyable read & I heartily recommend it.
Excellent overview of Carroll the Mathematician - By: A reader in London, 26 Jul 2008 "Alicein Wonderland" & "Through the looking-glass" are classics, & Lewis Carroll is also known as a pioneer of photography, but his mathematics is less well-known. This excellent book is a very readable account of Carroll's mathematics: his puzzles, his occasional pieces like "The Dynamics of a Parti-cle", his defence of Euclid, & his more serious work on the mathematics of voting systems, determinants & logic. Appropriately, this book is very entertaining: Carroll & Wilson share a love of jokes! You don't need to be a mathematician to enjoy this: if you want to know about Carroll's life beyond the Alice books, this is an excellent place to start.
