An Attempted Mathematical Proof of Friendship
After Yoko Ogawa’s The Housekeeper and the Professor
Word Problems
After Yoko Ogawa’s The Housekeeper and the Professor
It’s funny that
when math problems become written,
then they’re called word problems
even though the numbers are still the star.
For example,
when I write out the words
four factorial
you know it’s math that I’m talking about,
but when I write
4!
without any context,
you may think
Wow that number sure is excited.
When I write out numbers,
sometimes I can understand them better,
but when I try to number out my feelings
and divide for the common factor (excluding myself),
it all turns into algebra.
The smallest pairs of amicable numbers
is 220 and 284
because the divisors of each
add up to the sum of
the other
in the pair.
Amicable numbers remind me of friendship
because if you add up the divisors of your friend, maybe it will equal yourself.
However.
If friendship came with formulas
to determine the end point of our relationship,
I think I’d rip my hair out.
Then I’d have to calculate how many strands of hair cover a square inch of my head,
how much force is required to pull out all the strands per quarter inch,
and how many times I’d have to pull at my head to go bald.
Molly Schwarz is a graduate student and adjunct lecturer in the English department at City College. Her academic interests include Asian American literature and translated Asian literature. Her other work can be found in The Promethean.
The Marbled Sigh 