Theatre-Physics & Arcadia Steven Zides - Physics Dept. Wofford College

Goals for our Courses Theatre Class literary analysis understanding the differences between the play and other types of fiction thematic and structural unity Physics Class scientific method historical development of scientific ideas science is a work in progress science is good at answering the “Hows” but not the “Whys”

Inspiration for Theatre Physics Copenhagen (by Michael Frayn) “The Tony Award-winning play that soars at the intersection of science and art, Copenhagen is an explosive reimagining of the mysterious wartime meeting between two Nobel laureates to discuss the atomic bomb.” [back Cover summary of the play]

Course Layout Aristotelian Science The Scientific Revolution 19 th Century Science 20 th Century Science The Two Cultures

By Tom Stoppard

What is Arcadia About? Arcadia is centered around the Coverly family and their estate in Derbyshire. Oscillating back and forth between 1809 and the present, we see two different generations struggling with issues such as love, desire, life, death, Newtonian determinism, and the chaotic nature of life. In the process, Stoppard’s satirical creation is infused with numerous illusions to mathematics, mechanics, and thermodynamics.

Mathematical Ideas In Arcadia Algebra Graphing Euclidian Geometry Fermat’s Last Theorem Iterated Algorithms Modeling Noisy Chaotic Data

Fermat’s Last Theorem Act I, Scene I Septimus (the tutor) tries to instruct Thomasina (the 13 year old prodigy) on the nature of Fermat’s Last Theorem. Unfortunately, Thomasina is more interested in the current gossip and the definition of certain key words.

Iterated Algorithms Act I, Scene IV Hannah, the author researching the hermitage, discovers the 200 year old notebooks of Thomasina. Trying to understand their content, Hannah engages Valentine (the mathematician) in a discussion of iterated algorithms.

Noisy Chaotic Data Act I, Scene IV Later in the same scene, Valentine tries to explain, to Hannah, his research on grouse populations. In the process, Valentine creates a humorous analogy between finding the mathematical rule for noisy data and spotting a piano tune.

Using Arcadia in Class 1) The students read handouts on chaos theory, thermodynamics, and heat engines. 2) The students read the play. 3) The students did a class reading of key scenes. 4) Student groups were assigned to catalogue the math and science in a given scene. Group reports were shared with the class. 5) The play was compared to previous plays. 6) The students attended a guest lecture on “Chaos in the Theater” by Dr. William Demastes. 7) The students attended a full play production. 8) The students critiqued the production.

Additional References Abbott, Stephen. “Lost in Shakespace.” Focus (2005): Demastes, William. Theatre of Chaos. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, Devaney, Robert. “Chaos, Fractals, and Arcadia.” Boston University Jackson, Allyn. “Love and the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia.” Notices of the AMS (1995): Stoppard, Tom. Arcadia. London: Faber and Faber, Zides, Steven. “Theatre-Physics.” Wofford College

Theatre-Physics & Arcadia Steven Zides - Physics Dept. Wofford College