Measuring the Impact of Mathematics: Towards a Critical Mathematical Studies

Abstract

Mathematics has been called “the queen of the sciences,” yet studies of mathematics and literature have been comparatively rare in Configurations. While Project Muse reports over 500 hits for technology in Configurations, math appears in only 26 articles, not counting reviews or bibliographies. In order to identify how mathematics has figured into the field of science, literature, and the arts, this paper reviews all Configurations articles about mathematics and identifies vibrant themes and issues within that archive. Blending historiographical review with bibliographic analysis, we explore whether math and literature can be considered a subfield of science and literature, and what areas have been the most fruitful for inquiry thus far. We also look to discussions of mathematics and literature outside Configurations to determine where there might be opportunities to develop more trans-disciplinary conversations about mathematics and literature. By tracing the history of mathematics in Configurations, the paper chronicles a history of critical thinking about mathematics that helps illuminate our own discipline and its intersections with other forms of science studies. This disciplinary history can serve as an important interlocutor for science and literature scholars. By contextualizing Configurations articles about mathematics within this broader intellectual tradition, we identify areas for future research that could bring math more into alignment with other disciplines that have been better represented within the field of science, literature, and the arts.