(1945-    ) UK mathematician, currently Professor of Mathematics at the University of Warwick; he was elected to the Royal Society in 2001. His sf novels Wheelers (2000) and Heaven (2004), together with the nonfiction The Collapse of Chaos: Discovering Simplicity in a Complex World (1994) and other popular-science works of sf interest, were written in collaboration with Jack Cohen – whom see for further discussion. Stewart, whose solo works deal with Mathematics, is the fourth writer of the Scientific American column founded by Martin Gardner as "Mathematical Games" and continued by Douglas Hofstadter and A K Dewdney: Stewart's columns are titled "Mathematical Recreations". Several collections of these and related popular-maths essays have appeared under generally punning titles, beginning with Game, Set & Math: Enigmas and Conundrums (coll 1989). Also of tangential interest is Stewart's involvement with what might be termed a mathematics Fanzine, Manifold, published from the University of Warwick 1968-1980; inspired by Martin Gardner's columns, this featured comic and bizarre mathematical speculations, partially collected as Seven Years of Manifold 1968-1980 (anth 1981) edited by Stewart and John Jaworski. Flatterland: Like Flatland Only More So (2001) uses Edwin A Abbott's Flatland (1884; rev 1884) as the starting point for a Flatland girl's fictionalized tour (with much wordplay in echo of Lewis Carroll) of more modern mathematical concepts of Dimensions, geometries, topology, and more, including an sf excursion into Black Holes and Time Paradoxes. [DRL]

see also: Thought Experiment.

Ian Nicholas Stewart

born Folkestone, Kent: 24 September 1945

died

works

• Wheelers (New York: Warner Aspect, 2000) with Jack Cohen [hb/Bob Eggleton]
• Heaven (New York: Warner Aspect, 2004) with Jack Cohen [hb/Steve Stone]
• Reinventing the Wall (Birmingham, England: The Birmingham Science Fiction Group, 1999) [story: chap: illus/pb/Harry Turner]

nonfiction

series

The Science of Discworld

• The Science of Discworld (London: Ebury Press, 1999) with Jack Cohen and Terry Pratchett [nonfiction: Discworld: Science of Discworld: hb/Paul Kidby]
  • The Science of Discworld (London: Ebury Press, 2002) with Jack Cohen and Terry Pratchett [exp of the above, with two new chapters: Discworld: Science of Discworld: hb/Paul Kidby]
• The Science of Discworld II: The Globe (London: Ebury Press, 2002) with Jack Cohen and Terry Pratchett [nonfiction: Discworld: Science of Discworld: hb/Paul Kidby]
• The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch (London: Ebury Press, 2003) with Jack Cohen and Terry Pratchett [nonfiction: Discworld: Science of Discworld: hb/Paul Kidby]

individual titles (selected)

• Game, Set & Math: Enigmas and Conundrums (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1989) [nonfiction: coll: hb/Steven Flemming]
• The Collapse of Chaos: Discovering Simplicity in a Complex World (New York: Viking, 1994) with Jack Cohen [nonfiction: hb/uncredited]
• Figments of Reality: The Evolution of the Curious Mind (Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1997) with Jack Cohen [nonfiction: hb/Steve Xerri]
• Flatterland: Like Flatland Only More So (London: Macmillan, 2001) [nonfiction in story form: hb/Jacey]
• Evolving the Alien: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life (London: Ebury Press, 2002) with Jack Cohen [nonfiction: hb/Senate]
  • What Does a Martian Look Like: The Science of Extraterrestrial Life (New York: John Wiley, 2002) with Jack Cohen [nonfiction: vt of the above: hb/]

works as editor

• Seven Years of Manifold 1968-1980 (Nantwich, Cheshire: Shiva Publishing, 1981) edited with John Jaworski [nonfiction: anth: pb/Tim Poston]

links

• Ian Stewart

Previous versions of this entry

• 16/09/2007
• 22/11/2011
• 04/12/2011