ibn hakkan al bokhari dead in his labyrinth

I think that mathematicians do tend to be people who are especially focused on the idea of 'truth'. 'He's too mathematical, or logical, to tell lies - he's too set on expressing truth, and he's not in the least vague about that.'Īgain, I think Barr is on to something here. It just so happens that due to our chosen careers, mathematicians pretty much always have some problem that we're thinking about! Rather, I would argue, it is true of anyone that they would appear absentminded if they are concentrating on some problem which they are trying to solve, whether that problem be of a mathematical nature or otherwise. I think mathematicians might seem absentminded.although it is not because their powers of observations are weaker than their powers of concentration. When I say Bill Ford was absentminded, I mean his powers of observation were subservient to his powers of concentration and if he went out in nonmatching socks it was because he'd worked out some terrific equation in his head, and socks didn't matter.Īt several points in the story, Ford's 'absentmindedness' becomes relevant, but I think that Barr has caught some aspect of the truth here.

Those who have read many of my reviews on this Website know that I have a bit of a 'chip on my shoulder' when it comes to stereotypes of mathematicians, but the two presented here do not bother me so much. We never actually meet the mathematician in this story, but he is described in stereotypical terms. Her faith in him (which is so strong, she describes it as being to the n-plus-1th degree) allows her to figure out how and by whom he was framed. A list compiled by Alex Kasman ( College of Charleston)Ī mathematician is accused of murdering a man who flirted with his wife.

Ibn hakkan al bokhari dead in his labyrinth