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Mathematics and humor PDF

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Mathematics and Humor John Allen Paulos Mathematics and Humor The University of Chicago Press Chicago and London The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 60637 The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., London e 1980 by The University of Chicago All rights reserved. Published 1980 Paperback edition 1982 Printed in the United States of America 0908 10 1112 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Paulos, John Allen. Mathematics and humor. Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Wit and humor-Philosophy. 1. Title. PN6149.P5P3 801'.957 80-12742 ISBN 0-226-65025-1 @ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials,ANSI Z39.48-1992. To the memory of Abraham Schwimmer Contents 1M athematics 2 Axioms, Levels, and Humor and Iteration 1 19 3 4 Self-Reference Humor, and Paradox Grammar, and 41 Philosophy 57 5 6 A Catastrophe Odds and Theory Model of the End Jokes and Humor 101 75 References 109 Index 113 Mathematics The Talmud says, "Begin a lesson with a humorous illustra tion." This is especially apt here, since discussions of humor and Humor are often ponderous and grim, and since this one, though of a quite different sort, is not altogether an exception. A friend of mine-a mathematician, incidentally-recently completed a speed-reading course, and he noted this in a letter to his mother. His mother responded with a long, chatty letter in the middle of which she wrote, "Now that you've taken that speed-reading course, you've probably already finished read ing this letter." What this illustrates about my friend's mother may be clearer than what it illustrates about mathematics and humor, but then I have a whole book to explain the latter. A good way to begin that explanation is to provide a very brief sampling of what philosophers, psychologists, writers, and critics have said in attempting to come to an understand ing of humor-hence the following chronology. Classical writers on humor and laughter considered them base and ignoble. Aristotle, who devoted many pages of his Poetics to tragedy, had relatively little to say about comedy (at least relatively little that has survived). He wrote, "Com 1 edy, as we have said, is a representation of inferior people,

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