Math That’s Just Plain Normal

In his “800 Words” column, Dan Neil laments that mathematicians, as fictional characters, are always portrayed as tormented geniuses, or, at the very least, frustrated over-achievers--save for nice, normal Charlie Eppes in “Numb3rs” (“Who Knew Math Was So Prime Time,” Oct. 9). I found it funny that Neil would wonder why audiences like to see cerebral characters display unpredictable behavior or imbalanced psychology. Why doesn’t he write about the beautiful, unchanging weather of Los Angeles, or the pleasant conversations he enjoys with friends and family in the warm and cozy moments of his life?

It’s because he writes for entertainment purposes, and those topics would be boring. I am happy that most real mathematicians are normal, healthy people who help planes fly and water flow. May their real-life work fill us with a sense of wonder, but let the fictional number wizards make me wonder . . . what will happen next.

Deborah Sale-Butler

Studio City