In three pages this paper examines the mathematical fantasy conjured by the author in this 1998 text. There is 1 source cited in the bibliography.
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Robert with the enigmatic "Number Devil" leads him to reach certain understandings about mathematical concepts that no teacher had ever demonstrated for him -- at least not with the style
and humor of Number Devil. For people who believe they have no understanding of anything mathematical (such as Robert) the exacting but always enthusiastic Number Devil is more of number
magician or even angel! Summary The main character, Robert (a boy who admits to hating numbers), is plagued by endless nightmares and ridiculous dreams. They are nightmares, that he explains
in the opening lines of the book, make him "always come out looking dumb" (pp. 9). His dreams play tricks on him and he awakes never knowing what is real
and what was a dream. When the mysterious Number Devil appears in his dreams, Robert assumes that this is just one more form of nightmare. He wants nothing to do
with numbers! However, bit by bit, and through a series of 12 dreams, Robert becomes intrigued by the many complex concepts of mathematics. Number Devil shows him an entirely new
way of considering numbers and mathematical theories. Each dream leads to a more intricate mathematical premise that range from theories about infinity to the idea of "triangular" numbers. There is
an "Alice through the Looking Glass" feeling to the book as almost anything can be a part of Roberts surreal dreams -- a forest where the trees are number ones,
numbers that float in swimming pools, a calculator the size of a sofa, to name only a few. Ultimately, Robert and Number Devil visit Number Hell/Number Heaven where they meet
some of the most famous mathematicians of the past and where Robert gains acceptance as a number "apprentice." The end result for the reader, as with Robert, is a greater