Wednesday (7/6/2022) - Borges and Mathematics - Guillermo Martinez

Wikipedia has a page specifically dedicated to the topic of Jorge Luis Borges and Mathematics.

According to Argentinian mathematician Guillermo Martínez, Borges at least had a knowledge of mathematics at the level of first courses in algebra and analysis at a university – covering logic, paradoxes, infinity, topology and probability theory.  

[Borges'] 1939 essay "Avatars of the Tortoise" (Avatares de la Tortuga) is about infinity, and he opens by describing the book he would like to write on infinity: “five or seven years of metaphysical, theological, and mathematical training would prepare me (perhaps) for properly planning that book.”

Martinez is the author of Borges and Mathematics (Borges y las matemáticas, 2003).  English translation by Andrea G. Labinger.  (I was able to find it online.)

The article by Martinez, which is also apparently the first chapter of Martinez' book with the same name references a book of essays called Borges and Science (Eudeba). This book is only available in Spanish as: 

Borges y la ciencia.
[Buenos Aires, Argentina] : 

EUDEBA : Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1999

152 pages : illustrations
Contents:El cartesianismo como retórica / Lucila Pagliai --
Borges y el problema del conocer : a propósito de "La busca de Averroes" / José Töpf --
Borges visto por un científico / Marcelino Cereijido --
Memoria y pensamiento / Eduardo Mizraji --
Espacio y tiempo en Borges / Héctor Vucetich --
La lotería en la ciencia / Roberto P.J. Perazzo --
La Biblioteca de Babel / Leonardo Moledo --
Indicios / Humberto Alagia. Pierre Menard / Guillermo Boido --
La invención borgeana y la verdad científica / Marcelo Leonardo Levinas --
Borges y el pensamiento científico / Alberto Boveris --
Infinitos mundos y un solo Borges / Oscar Jofre.		 

Contents (in Eng).

Cartesianism as rhetoric / Lucila Pagliai --  
Borges and the problem of knowing: about "The search for Averroes" / José Töpf -- 
Borges seen by a scientist / Marcelino Cereijido --  
Memory and thought / Eduardo Mizraji -- 
Space and time in Borges / Héctor Vucetich --  
The lottery in science / Roberto P.J. Perazzo-- 
The Library of Babel / Leonardo Moledo -- 
Evidence / Humberto Alagia -- 
Pierre Menard / Guillermo Boido -- 
Borgesian invention and scientific truth / Marcelo Leonardo Levinas -- 
Borges and scientific thought / Alberto Boveris -- 
Infinite worlds and only one Borges / Oscar Jofre

This is available from Amazon and also at the U of I Library, but only in Spanish.


 

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