Mathematics and Humor

Summary: John Allen Paulos cleverly scrutinizes the mathematical structures of jokes, puns, paradoxes, spoonerisms, riddles, and other forms of humor, drawing examples from such sources as Rabelais, Shakespeare, James Beattie, Rene Thom, Lewis Carroll, Arthur Koestler, W. C. Fields, and Woody Allen. "Jokes, paradoxes, riddles, and the art of non-sequitur are revealed with great perception and insight in this illuminating acco...unt of the relationship between humor and mathematics."Joseph Williams, New York Times "'Leave your mindalone,' said a Thurber cartoon, and a really complete and convincing analysis of what humour is might spoil all jokes forever. This book avoids that danger. What it does. . .is describe broadly several kinds of mathematical theory and apply them to throw sidelights on how many kinds of jokes work." New Scientist "Many scholars nowadays write seriously about the ludicrous. Some merely manage to be dull. A fewlike Paulosare brilliant in an odd endeavor." Los Angeles Times Book Review [read more]