Embark on a playful mathematical tour, aided by Lisl Gaal's illustrations of familiar scenes and whimsical triggers for the imagination. Along the way, find fruit stands arranged using polynomial multiplication, checkerboard tablecloths sewed with patterns of primes in a two-dimensional number system, and deceptive cats revealing that simple counting is not always so simple. Grasping the mathematics in this book requires only a basic background in algebra and geometry, so while the ideas can be understood and enjoyed at a variety of levels, it is recommended for ages 13-99. Touching on topics in current research, this is a book to read and revisit, gaining new insights each time.

Born in Vienna in 1924, Lis (Novak) Gaul graduated from Hunter College in 1944 and received her Ph.D. in 1948 at Harvard University with a dissertation on the consistency of Gӧdel’s axioms for class theory. She taught at Wellesley College, Radcliffe, and Boston University, and from 1952 to 1957 at the University of California at Berkeley and was a member of the staff of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. In 1957 she joined the Mathematics Department at Cornell University. She was promoted to Associate Professor in 1962 and to Professor in 1965. She was the first woman to receive tenure in this department. Lis lived in Ithaca for many years. In 1977, she moved to Minnesota, where she taught in the Art and Women’s Studies Department of the University of Minnesota. She is now Associate Professor Emerita at the University of Minnesota. Lis learned lithography from Geri Cogan (later at Minneapolis College of Art and Design) and Gerald Kuepps at the University of Minnesota. Her lithographs have been shown in many different exhibits.

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