Commutative Diagrams in the Fine Arts, Volume 49, Number 6

Almost imperceptibly, mathematics has emerged into public view in works of fiction, theater, and cinematography, and people at large suddenly find mathematicians to be interesting characters. Like a number of my colleagues, I have been to see the Broadway play Proof [1], in which all of the characters are attached to mathematics in one way or another. Its author, David Auburn, received a Pulitzer Prize and a Best Play Tony Award [7]. His play was amply reviewed in mathematics journals, indeed twice in the Notices [2], [11] (see also [3], [18]). Remarkable popular acclaim keeps it running on Broadway, and it is now appearing on stages abroad [3]. It is undoubtedly good for mathematics to appear as a normal human endeavour, but in my mind I see the question of authenticity arise instantly whenever I encounter cross-cultural links between the humanities and mathematics. In Proof, we listen in on the following dialogue between Hal, a young mathematics Ph.D., and the protagonist Catherine (Act I, Scene 3, [1], p. 34): Hal: [...] Mathematicians are insane. I went to this conference [...] last fall. I’m young, right? I’m in shape. I thought I could hang out with the big boys. Wrong. I’ve never been so exhausted in my life. Forty-eight straight hours of partying, drinking, drugs, papers, lectures... Catherine: Drugs? Hal: Yeah. Amphetamines mostly.[...] Some of the older guys are really hooked. [...] They think math’s a young man’s game. Speed keeps them racing, makes them feel sharp. There’s this fear that your creativity peaks around twenty-three and it’s all downhill from there. Once you hit fifty it’s over, you might as well teach high school.