Division by Zero (short story)

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"Division by Zero"
Short story by Ted Chiang
CountryUnited States
Language English
Genre(s) Science fiction
Publication
Published in Full Spectrum 3
Publication type Anthology
Publisher Bantam Spectra
Publication date1 May 1991 [1]

"Division by Zero" is a science fiction short story by American author Ted Chiang, initially published in 1991 in Full Spectrum 3 magazine [2] [3] and subsequently republished in the 2002 Ted Chiang collection Stories of Your Life and Others . [4] [5]

Contents

Plot

Renee, an intellectually gifted mathematician and professor, inadvertently proves arithmetic inconsistent. The discovery causes her great mental anguish, as she can no longer find mathematics intuitively meaningful. Her husband, Carl, is initially sympathetic but finds himself unable to empathize. The stress of her discovery eventually drives Renee to attempt suicide, which Carl prevents. While Renee recovers in a psychiatric ward, Carl realizes he has fallen out of love with her and resolves to end their relationship. The story ends mid-conversation, wherein a grateful Renee, recently released from the ward, attempts to explain her breakdown to a somber Carl.

See also

References

  1. "Full Spectrum 3 Paperback – May 1, 1991". amazon.com . Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  2. Miéville, China (April 24, 2004). "Wonder boy: Stories of Your Life by Ted Chiang". The Guardian . theguardian.com. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  3. Kasman, Alex. "Division by Zero (1991)". kasmana.people.cofc.edu. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  4. "Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang". Goodreads . goodreads.com. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  5. "LIBRIS - Stories of your life and others". Libris. Retrieved March 24, 2016.