What do you think is the common feature between the numbers 284 and 220? Maybe most people will find it difficult to answer the question. The feature the numbers have in common is that the total sum of each one's divisors is equal to the other number. This is called an "Amicable Number."

This is just one of the unusual mathematical facts we are introduced to in Ogawa Yoko's novel The Professor and His Beloved Equations. The novel makes us aware of the meaning of life and love by using such unusual mathematical allusions. The main protagonist, Dr. Math, not only leaves a deep impression on the reader but also arouses our interest in and affection for math.

The background of this novel is Dr. Math's constant changing of his housemaids. Dr. Math can only remember the last eighty minutes of his life because he damaged his memory in a traffic accident. The story begins with the appearance of his tenth housemaid. The two people, Dr. Math and his tenth housemaid, use numbers, not words, to communicate. For example, at their first meeting Dr. Math explains the hidden meaning in the housemaid's birthday, her phone number, and so on. He also gives the son of the housemaid the nickname "Root." After this event, the three people begin to develop a deeper friendship. Through the process of getting to know one another, Dr. Math teaches math to the housemaid and her son and starts to open his closed mind to the world. The three people fill up their missing parts in this way and become close friends.

Unfortunately, Dr. Math can't remember anything past eighty minutes. As such, he can't recollect any happy memory. The sad fortune that Dr. Math cannot escape from comes to us as our own sadness because we have shared the happy moments of the three characters. These moments are shown from the perspective of the housekeeper, who witnesses all of them.

The development of the relationships in the novel and the emotional bonds that develop between the characters provide a heartwarming tale, the perfect reading material for this time of year. The Gazette would like to recommend The Professor and His Beloved Equations to you this fall.