Kedar Hardikar

Abstract Intersections Kedar Hardikar

Against the intricate backdrop of mathematics, Abstract Intersections stages a radically new portrayal of human emotions in the theater of life. Forged from passionate life experiences and the arduous journey of experiential mathematical learning, these poems lie at an unexpected crossroads: one which challenges the notion of separation between the intellectual stimulus provided by mathematics and experiences provoking deeply felt emotions. Placing a "favorite color" on a different footing than a "favorite mathematical object" is a controversy rather than an accepted reality in these verses. With topics ranging from elementary mathematics to advanced concepts from abstract algebra, statistics, real and complex analysis, and topology, these poems delineate the powerful emotions evoked throughout the experiential learning of celebrated theorems and concepts in mathematics. Using the language of mathematics, these poems take the reader through a surprising range of emotions and provoke deep philosophical contemplation. With mathematical and emotional context provided by the author for each poem, this poetry book caters to a wide audience, from the average intellectually curious high schooler, to seasoned members of the scientific community. A unique literary experiment, cloaked in philosophical revelation and shaped by mathematical insights, Abstract Intersections provides a profoundly original alternative in facing the challenges of life and mathematics, one where each is mirrored in the other.