Theatre, mathematics, and the aesthetics of infinity
Complicite’s A Disappearing Number
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11936869 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Seyedeh Anahit Kazzazi (0000-0002-5077-4309, University of Sussex, Edinburgh, UK, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 45 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 141-157 |
| Publication date | 2020-04-02 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Interdisciplinary Science Reviews (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0308-0188 • E-ISSN: 1743-2790 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03080188.2020.1779509 |
| OpenAlex | W3038002501 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 7 |
Complicite's A Disappearing Number is one of the best examples of contemporary plays that use theatrical strategies to convey complex scientific ideas. Complicite uses performance to stage the complex mathematical concepts of partition and infinite convergent series, taking inspiration from the statement by renowned British mathematician G. H. Hardy that “a mathematician... is a maker of patterns”. As well as performativity, other elements in the play contribute to performing mathematics on the stage, elements such as time and space, narrative structure, thematic content, and characterization. Complicite introduces a complex pattern that runs throughout the play to connect these elements to form a complete whole. These elements effectively work with each other to release a set of clues that guide the audience towards decoding the play's pattern. This study provides an in-depth analysis of these connections and the complex process of decoding the pattern in the play
Aesthetics · Art · Combinatorics · Epistemology · Geography · Infinity · Linguistics · Literature · Narrative · Pace · Partition (number theory · Performativity · Set (abstract data type · Statement (logic · Art, Technology, and Culture · Artistic and Creative Research · Computer Science · Mathematics · Philosophy · Theatre and Performance Studies
| Highly cited | No |
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