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Mathematics in Russian Avant-Garde Literature

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Abstract

This chapter discusses the importance of mathematics in the historical Russian avant-garde movement using examples taken from different authors. I will limit myself to three writers: Velimir Khlebnikov (1885–1922), Evgenij Zamyatin (1884–1937), and Daniil Kharms (1905–1942). Each author differs in their specific approach to incorporating mathematical themes into their literary work, as I will show with a focus on numbers and geometry. To situate the analyses, I will start by introducing the general character of the authors and their works.

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Niederbudde, A. (2021). Mathematics in Russian Avant-Garde Literature. In: Tubbs, R., Jenkins, A., Engelhardt, N. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Literature and Mathematics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55478-1_7

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