Barbers and big ideas: paradox in math and poetry.

Paradox intrigues both mathematicians and artists of all kinds. Throughout the recorded history of human thought, paradox has been a signal that we have to look hard for explanations, whether in natural language or the symbols of math and logic. The particular resonance between math and poetry is related to the fact that paradoxical concepts can translate from one form of expression to another surprisingly well. I examine paradoxes that have intrigued me and present five poems that have been inspired as a result. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]