The Mathematicians

Feldman, ArthurProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.7

Word count: 6.8K words
Chapters: 1

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Mathematicians by Arthur FeldmanAuthor: Feldman, Arthur,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Jun 17, 2009

Editor's review

The Mathematicians is an English-language literary work collected by Project Gutenberg, classified under the Library of Congress PS category, that is, American and Canadian literature, rather than a work on the history of mathematics. The title easily leads one to mistake it for a group portrait of mathematicians or a popular science work on the discipline, but it should actually be expected as fictional literature. It is not long and is suitable as an entry point for understanding the public-domain e-book ecosystem and early American literary texts. Its reading value lies mainly at the level of language and narrative: one can observe how characters are sketched, how dialogue advances scenes, and how the literary tastes of the era are reflected in details. Given the limited materials, one should not infer too much about its plot or the author's biography; a more prudent approach is to treat it as a freely accessible literary sample, read a few pages to get a feel for the style, and then decide whether to go further. For readers studying the dissemination of public-domain books or the origins of e-books, the book's metadata itself also constitutes an interesting footnote.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English-language readers who want low-cost exposure to early American literary texts
Enthusiasts studying public-domain e-books and the history of Project Gutenberg
Learners who need short English materials for close-reading practice
Library professionals interested in American literature classification and bibliographic information

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping to systematically study the history of mathematics or biographies of mathematicians
Ordinary fiction readers who prefer contemporary novel pacing and strong plots
Learners whose English reading is not yet proficient and who need annotations and introductions

Reading tips

Read the first two or three thousand words to judge the style and narrative rhythm, then decide whether to read it through.
Use a dictionary to record unfamiliar words and period expressions, treating it as close-reading material.
After finishing, consult the book's catalog metadata to understand public-domain classification and edition information.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a nonfiction work about mathematicians?

From the available materials, it is classified under American and Canadian literature and is a literary work rather than a history of mathematics or a biography of scientists. The “Mathematicians” in the title easily causes misunderstanding; readers should approach it expecting a novel or literary text and need not expect mathematical knowledge or biographical research. For specific genre details, the actual content of the main text should be the basis.

Why does it appear in Project Gutenberg?

Project Gutenberg, founded by Michael Hart in 1971, is the earliest project providing free e-books and collects a large number of texts that have entered the public domain. This book is one item in its public-domain library, offered for free access and distribution. Its appearance indicates that the book's copyright status permits public circulation; it does not mean it is a bestseller or a required classic.

How difficult is the English?

As an earlier American literary work, the language may contain period sentence structures and word choices; the overall difficulty is moderate to somewhat high, depending on one's vocabulary and adaptability to older expressions. It is advisable to sample the opening first; if there are too many unfamiliar words per page, you can first read a Chinese translation or introductory material and then return to the original, to avoid giving up out of frustration.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Feldman, Arthur Author

Arthur Feldman is an author about whom publicly available information is currently limited; details such as his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. Within the existing database, he has only one work, The Mathematicians, so the available material is insufficient to sketch a complete picture of his writing career. Judging from the title, the book most likely centers on mathematicians as a group, or touches on the lives and intellectual threads of figures within the discipline of mathematics, though whether it is fiction, biography, or another form cannot be confirmed. Owing to the lack of verifiable biographical details and critical commentary, his writing style, narrative approach, and the influence of his work are difficult to assess reliably. Readers seeking to learn more about this author can only take The Mathematicians as the main clue and consult external sources such as publication information and book reviews. This entry is based solely on the facts available in the database and makes no speculative additions regarding unknown details.