Math Cats by Daniel M. Look

Math + cats = an infinitely more entertaining exploration of the concepts and principles that are the foundation of our understanding of mathematics.

In Math Cats, mathematician and professor Daniel Look, along with a clowder of his feline friends, reveals the charming connections between mathematics and cats with 22 fun and fur-filled lessons. We know all cats are cute, but only some are acute. Others are obtuse (no offense) and more are always right (and never let you forget it), as you’ll learn by exploring how kitties represent different types of angles. When they curl out for a mid-day catnap, they perfectly represent the concept of a golden spiral. And when they squeeze into too small boxes or balls, they’re providing a geometric lesson in topological equivalence.

Packed with illustrations, this collection of proofs, theorems, and formulas is equal parts delightful and educational, and perfectly sized for your own cat to knock off our bookshelf.

Fans of Ben Orlins will love this humorous exploration of increasingly complicated mathematical concepts AND cat behavior with-with the aid of more cats than you can count from Professor Daniel Look.

About the Author: Daniel Look received his PhD from Boston University studying Complex Dynamics and he currently serves as the Rutherford Professor of Mathematics at St. Lawrence University in frozen northern New York (known affectionally as the North Country). His current research includes the dynamics of rational functions, text mining/stylometry, popular culture uses of mathematics in early 20th century pulp fiction, and mathematics pedagogy. Among other work, he has performed stylometric analyses of Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories and their various pastiches and written about H. P. Lovecraft’s use of non-Euclidean geometry for an invited paper in Lovecraft Annual. In his non-professional time, Dan enjoys adventuring with his amazing spouse and their four cats, playing Dungeons & Dragons, running, and running while thinking about playing Dungeons & Dragons. He also has 20 math-related tattoos.

23 Oct 2025
 

Math Cats: Scratching the Surface of Mathematical Concepts by Daniel M. Look ISBN 9798894140001