What do you think?
Rate this book
Math Girls #1
Math Girls
Math isn’t hard. Love is.
Currently in its eighteenth printing in Japan, this best-selling novel is available in English at last. Combining mathematical rigor with light romance, Math Girls is a unique introduction to advanced mathematics, delivered through the eyes of three students as they learn to deal with problems seldom found in textbooks.Math Girls has something for everyone, from advanced high school students to math majors and educators.
Currently in its eighteenth printing in Japan, this best-selling novel is available in English at last. Combining mathematical rigor with light romance, Math Girls is a unique introduction to advanced mathematics, delivered through the eyes of three students as they learn to deal with problems seldom found in textbooks.Math Girls has something for everyone, from advanced high school students to math majors and educators.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
81 people are currently reading
1219 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
June 12, 2012
I've been looking for a decent math book catered to middle/high school girls. I'm a woman and a math major, and there really aren't that many of us out there. I skimmed through Danica McKellar's book and was insulted; pretty much all of the examples centered around the kind of calculations necessary for shopping (calculating sales tax, etc). I'm not exactly sure what I was looking for, but that wasn't it.
However, Math Girls is more than I could have hoped for. The mathematics that it covers is actually quite deep (it gives a light introduction to the Riemann-Zeta function and generating functions), and the explanations are clear and elegant. Though pretty simplistic, I liked the story-line, which had the main character (a boy in high school) dealing with his attraction towards two different girls. The fact that he likes both women -- the novice who is interested in expanding her knowledge even though she feels inadequate, and the math prodigy who is miles ahead of the main character -- sends the perfect message to young girls interested in mathematics. You don't have to dumb yourself down to be liked, and on the flip side you shouldn't feel like you're not good enough at math to do some exploration on your own.
All in all, I think this is a terrific book for high school girls (and sure, boys too) who are interested in math.
However, Math Girls is more than I could have hoped for. The mathematics that it covers is actually quite deep (it gives a light introduction to the Riemann-Zeta function and generating functions), and the explanations are clear and elegant. Though pretty simplistic, I liked the story-line, which had the main character (a boy in high school) dealing with his attraction towards two different girls. The fact that he likes both women -- the novice who is interested in expanding her knowledge even though she feels inadequate, and the math prodigy who is miles ahead of the main character -- sends the perfect message to young girls interested in mathematics. You don't have to dumb yourself down to be liked, and on the flip side you shouldn't feel like you're not good enough at math to do some exploration on your own.
All in all, I think this is a terrific book for high school girls (and sure, boys too) who are interested in math.
March 15, 2022
Good book. This is interesting!
March 7, 2013
Oh math girls...
Everyone thought I was crazy for reading a book about math that wasn't required by school, but something about this book called out to me. I mean, up until now, I've had a strange relationship with math. In elementary school I hated it, and then in high school it changed. I started liking math and to this day, I really love it. Now in Grade 12 Calculus, I picked up this book and realized just how much I don't actually know.
They would start with something simple that you even learn in grade 10 functions. For example, they would start with arithmetic sequences or binomial expansion and then they would just run with it. They would take it so much farther than what we do at school that I would feel kind of ashamed. Here I thought I was good at math, but there is so much more out there. I liked seeing that new math. I like it a lot. It changed my approach to how I solve math problems especially series and sequences.
The story really took a backseat here for me. The math problems were more interesting. The only thing I would have liked from the story is .
I would say that if you like math and a sweet friendship, then you'll like Math Girls.
Side Note: Just saw that there's a Math Girls 2 (or Math Girls Squared). I might read that after a couple of years. I don't know where I'll be math-wise then. Maybe I'll understand things better because when you do understand the math, the story is really better.
Everyone thought I was crazy for reading a book about math that wasn't required by school, but something about this book called out to me. I mean, up until now, I've had a strange relationship with math. In elementary school I hated it, and then in high school it changed. I started liking math and to this day, I really love it. Now in Grade 12 Calculus, I picked up this book and realized just how much I don't actually know.
They would start with something simple that you even learn in grade 10 functions. For example, they would start with arithmetic sequences or binomial expansion and then they would just run with it. They would take it so much farther than what we do at school that I would feel kind of ashamed. Here I thought I was good at math, but there is so much more out there. I liked seeing that new math. I like it a lot. It changed my approach to how I solve math problems especially series and sequences.
The story really took a backseat here for me. The math problems were more interesting. The only thing I would have liked from the story is .
I would say that if you like math and a sweet friendship, then you'll like Math Girls.
Side Note: Just saw that there's a Math Girls 2 (or Math Girls Squared). I might read that after a couple of years. I don't know where I'll be math-wise then. Maybe I'll understand things better because when you do understand the math, the story is really better.
June 25, 2019
Amazing!!
Although I’m studying Mathematics at the university, this book taught me a lot, even more than the classes I had.
I really enjoyed the combination of the love story with Math, and I also learned a lot from the main characters. Their personalities, thoughts and the way they look at Mathematics are really interesting.
Math Girls is written in a way that you can understand the demonstrations, examples and problems.
After reading this book, you will fall in love with Maths. In my case, I fell in love with Maths again.
I’m looking forward to reading the complete series.
Although I’m studying Mathematics at the university, this book taught me a lot, even more than the classes I had.
I really enjoyed the combination of the love story with Math, and I also learned a lot from the main characters. Their personalities, thoughts and the way they look at Mathematics are really interesting.
Math Girls is written in a way that you can understand the demonstrations, examples and problems.
After reading this book, you will fall in love with Maths. In my case, I fell in love with Maths again.
I’m looking forward to reading the complete series.
May 17, 2012
This is an interesting book, it covers a large amount of content, mainly from number theory and enumeration. The romance was very light and fluffy, and was definitely good to break up the content, because without it it probably would have been rather dense, though it is a bit dense still. Covers topics like Catalan paths, convergent and divergent sequences, the zeta function, formal power series and generating functions.
December 9, 2015
This is the unique book that i know that makes the mathematisc the leitmotive,fun and discussion between secondary school teens,it touch themes as generating functions ,harmonic series and zeta function,taylor series and partitions
July 27, 2023
The math started as fun to figure out to simply incomprehensible. The ending wasn’t very satisfactory.
October 6, 2015
Math Girls is not Hiroshi Yuki’s first book about the sciences, as he has written others on niche topics such as Java and Perl. Math Girls focuses on the often unseen beauty of mathematics and the enjoyment one can get out of studying difficult problems and working on their proofs with friends. Yuki melds young adult fiction with a mathematics textbook in this novel. The book centers around the relationship between three seemingly incongruent characters. The first is the unnamed narrator, a shy boy who would rather sit in the library and work on math problems than socialize. The first female to whom we are introduced is the fierce and math-hungry Miruka. She is not only the love interest of the narrator, but also the instigator of the more difficult math theories. Her problems may be more preferred to those dealing with higher levels of math. The final main character is Tetra. She develops a crush on the narrator after she has asked him to be her tutor. Yuki thoroughly delves into Fibonacci Numbers, Harmonic Numbers, Finite and Infinite Sums, Factorization, the Basel Problem, Partitions of an Integer, and Generating Functions. While the narrator works with Tetra, the reader watches as the basics of math are very slowly and intricately explained. However, as soon as Miruka enters the scene, the math difficulty escalates and is much more laborious to follow. This book would certainly be more challenging for those who are just beginning calculus. If I were to recommend this to a high school student, I would recommend that (s)he really focus on the dialogue and problems discussed between Tetra and the narrator and then to try and follow Miruka’s explanations, but to not worry if they struggle to understand.
The non-mathematical storyline is sparse, but it is also not the focus of the book. The unassuming narrator struggles with the attention he receives from both Miruka and Tetra. He does not understand Miruka’s aggressiveness until he sees it through the eyes of Tetra. He also fails to pick up on Tetra’s crush until she accidentally admits to loving him, twice. Although some have complained of the slow progression of his relationship with these ladies, there is one scene in the library where Miruka does not mask her feelings with intensive mathetmatical proofs. Furthermore, the epilogue cleanly sums up the future relationships he will have with these two women.
Despite the inching romantic plotline, this book truly does provide a marvelous alternative to the explanations one may find in a math textbook. Tetra asks numerous questions that are probably heard by math teachers on a regular basis. Through the narrator’s patience and eloquence, confusing math terminology is broken down in a way that is easily understandable. The author also presents us with characters that are, for the most part, likeable. Many students may not go above-and-beyond their homework or what they learn in class for fear of their social status. However, these three become close friends who share a mutual respect and interest in this subject. Mathematics can sometimes be seen as a lonely affair, but Yuki presents it in a social context. He provides proofs that utilize teamwork and discussion to complete. This book can be incredibly helpful to teachers, those who have an interest in math, or someone who is looking for a different way to explain a mathematical problem.
The non-mathematical storyline is sparse, but it is also not the focus of the book. The unassuming narrator struggles with the attention he receives from both Miruka and Tetra. He does not understand Miruka’s aggressiveness until he sees it through the eyes of Tetra. He also fails to pick up on Tetra’s crush until she accidentally admits to loving him, twice. Although some have complained of the slow progression of his relationship with these ladies, there is one scene in the library where Miruka does not mask her feelings with intensive mathetmatical proofs. Furthermore, the epilogue cleanly sums up the future relationships he will have with these two women.
Despite the inching romantic plotline, this book truly does provide a marvelous alternative to the explanations one may find in a math textbook. Tetra asks numerous questions that are probably heard by math teachers on a regular basis. Through the narrator’s patience and eloquence, confusing math terminology is broken down in a way that is easily understandable. The author also presents us with characters that are, for the most part, likeable. Many students may not go above-and-beyond their homework or what they learn in class for fear of their social status. However, these three become close friends who share a mutual respect and interest in this subject. Mathematics can sometimes be seen as a lonely affair, but Yuki presents it in a social context. He provides proofs that utilize teamwork and discussion to complete. This book can be incredibly helpful to teachers, those who have an interest in math, or someone who is looking for a different way to explain a mathematical problem.
March 14, 2021
Hands down, the MOST CREATIVE mathematic book ever!!!Cringe as it must be, a shoujo novel-slash-textbook written in LaTeX that is so nerdy in a good way. Only Japanese writers can write book like this.
It’s a good book to challenge our math skill that I myself sometimes grab some papers to join solving the given problems on the story. Even my husband, who wasn’t reading the book, came along solving those problems. Nobody can resist it.
Hiroshi Yuki created opposite supporting characters: Tetra’s math problems refresh our understanding in high school math, while Miruka’s math problems introduce us to advanced math we never learn at school. Tetra who is a math novice with unthinkable questions and Miruka who is an ambitious math Genius with unthinkable solutions. The writer managed to keep the story and the character development on track, as well as the complexity on math problems that makes this book is so page-turning. It makes you want to know the progress of their friendship while digesting the math.
I always appreciate books where i learn something new. And this book offers another method on solving math and functions that i never heard or learned at university. Moreover, this book is not only about math, it is criticizing what common blunders made in most math textbooks, the importance of understanding the fundamental of each subjects and also taught reader on how to study effectively. Yuki-san seems genuinely understand what confuse students on learning math and managed to elaborate his explanatory in simpler way than any math textbooks.
Definitely 12/12 will read the sequel and the rest of this series! Recommended for All Math Enthusiasts!
Note:
DON’T try to read this book if you:
1. Easily bored by numbers because the content of this book 98% equations
2. If you read in hurry without trying to understand the explanatory because you’ll miss the fun :(
It’s a good book to challenge our math skill that I myself sometimes grab some papers to join solving the given problems on the story. Even my husband, who wasn’t reading the book, came along solving those problems. Nobody can resist it.
Hiroshi Yuki created opposite supporting characters: Tetra’s math problems refresh our understanding in high school math, while Miruka’s math problems introduce us to advanced math we never learn at school. Tetra who is a math novice with unthinkable questions and Miruka who is an ambitious math Genius with unthinkable solutions. The writer managed to keep the story and the character development on track, as well as the complexity on math problems that makes this book is so page-turning. It makes you want to know the progress of their friendship while digesting the math.
I always appreciate books where i learn something new. And this book offers another method on solving math and functions that i never heard or learned at university. Moreover, this book is not only about math, it is criticizing what common blunders made in most math textbooks, the importance of understanding the fundamental of each subjects and also taught reader on how to study effectively. Yuki-san seems genuinely understand what confuse students on learning math and managed to elaborate his explanatory in simpler way than any math textbooks.
Definitely 12/12 will read the sequel and the rest of this series! Recommended for All Math Enthusiasts!
Note:
DON’T try to read this book if you:
1. Easily bored by numbers because the content of this book 98% equations
2. If you read in hurry without trying to understand the explanatory because you’ll miss the fun :(
November 3, 2015
I absolutely loved this book, unusual as it is. There's a publishing dictum that says that for every equation you include in a book, you decrease your audience by half. That's probably why this book came out in Japan rather than in the West, because it's chock-full of equations, but introduced at a good pace.
The plot is simple. The unnamed narrator is a high school boy who loves math. Hiruka is a girl his age but far superior in math; Tetra is younger and not quite as competent but still enthusiastic about the subject. Through a series of conversations, usually challenges and lectures from Hiruka, and tutoring to Tetra, we learn more about how to think about maths, why we should love maths, and some extremely interesting results in maths that aren't covered by usual high school (or even college) curricula. A light air of romance draws the characters together, but really the romance in this book is reserved for maths.
I seriously think that if I'd read this book as a teenager, I would have approached maths differently and understood it a lot deeper than I do now. It's that good. Get it for a math lover in your life!
(And now I want a version introducing linguistics to high school students...)
The plot is simple. The unnamed narrator is a high school boy who loves math. Hiruka is a girl his age but far superior in math; Tetra is younger and not quite as competent but still enthusiastic about the subject. Through a series of conversations, usually challenges and lectures from Hiruka, and tutoring to Tetra, we learn more about how to think about maths, why we should love maths, and some extremely interesting results in maths that aren't covered by usual high school (or even college) curricula. A light air of romance draws the characters together, but really the romance in this book is reserved for maths.
I seriously think that if I'd read this book as a teenager, I would have approached maths differently and understood it a lot deeper than I do now. It's that good. Get it for a math lover in your life!
(And now I want a version introducing linguistics to high school students...)
Read
January 4, 2016Math girls is a novel by Hiroshi Yuki based upon three teenagers in high school, two of which share an affinity toward math. The main character, who is unnamed, is a first year who meets Miruka, a person who shares the same affinity and proves so by spurting random math problems at the narrator. Later on a third student Tetra who is terrible at math seeks the narrators help. It is revealed that Miruka gets jealous and forms a feud between her and Tetra, each fighting for the narrator. The narrator undergoes a dynamic change in his social skills. The narrator started as a typical nerd who is focused on math and nothing else. Throughout the tale he gain people skills and social etiquette that will help him later on in life, stuff you can't learn in the classroom per say. Many cultural similarities come to mind in the fact that in Japan, math is still deemed as nerdy, and the idea of nerdy fits to the antisocial aspect. Also the book takes on a patriarchal standpoint, which was surprising given the title. I believed it was going to be a story of Girls who excelled at math, but instead the girls described by the title lend towards a catty fight over the narrator.
Read
January 28, 2021Sooooo this book was harder to get through (the math) than I thought. The story was also very silly. But once I got used to how silly the story was (simplistic and flat high school love confusion) I was able to be impressed by how well the math was explained.
I kinda wish I had discovered this book in college (for the math). Maybe it would have given me a sense of cohesion that the randomly chosen math courses that made up my degree didn't. But who knows, maybe it just would have been discouraging.
I kinda wish I had discovered this book in college (for the math). Maybe it would have given me a sense of cohesion that the randomly chosen math courses that made up my degree didn't. But who knows, maybe it just would have been discouraging.
July 26, 2015
My rating says more about me than it does about the book. To my misfortune I understood very little of the math. I hope this doesn't happen to my daughter or future generations of girls. The book is two stories happening simultaneously. It is a story with 3 high school students studying math, one male and two females, and then the math they are studying. I didn't understand either one!
Read
May 2, 2017oh boy. This book was difficult. Admittedly,I'm still in the 9th grade,but I'm a math lover. I didn't expect the book to be THAT difficult to read though. The plot was cliche,but the math was interesting. Perhaps in 2 or 3 years,I'll revisit the book to see if I do understand it. Until then,I'm leaving it unstarred.
January 26, 2021
A slightly reluctant five star review, as I thought the plot was pretty meh -- but I wasn't reading it for the plot. Usually, mathematical fiction is fiction with some maths tacked on, but this is entirely the other way round. And the maths is good! Generating functions! Maths-positive attitude! Stuff that got me reaching for my notebook to work out!
November 4, 2012
Subarashii. Truly amusing though you have to be a Math fan to be able to appreciate it. I can't wait for the other books to be translated.
April 29, 2013
Cute story. Lots of math-geek stuff (Fibonacci gang signs, WORD!), proofs, and other fun stuff.
Really love the attitudes this book presents about learning and teaching.
Really love the attitudes this book presents about learning and teaching.
May 12, 2014
This is a beautiful book - highly, highly recommended.
Math Girls captures the nature of inquiry and the process of learning and does it all whilst creating a beautiful story. A captivating read.
Math Girls captures the nature of inquiry and the process of learning and does it all whilst creating a beautiful story. A captivating read.
March 21, 2016
this book is so great <3 love the math, love the fibonacci gang sign
January 12, 2018
Lots of math with just enough story to keep it all together. It was fun to get back into some of that type of math after graduating several years ago and not dealing much with math anymore.
November 21, 2023
This is a book that I need to now own a copy of...it's such a lovely way to tell a story about math
January 26, 2024
This made me grin like I do when Im taking math exams and I absolutely giggled like crazy. The math flirting I cant
February 27, 2021
J’ai beaucoup de tendresse pour ce livre. Il suit un trio d’élèves au long de leur scolarité au lycée. Le narrateur, un garçon, n’est pas nommé. Il est accompagné de deux filles, Miruka et Tétra.
Le livre joue sur le genre des romans sentimentaux, mais si l’on sent une légère tension dans ce qui s’annonce un triangle amoureux, on reste sur du plus que platonique. Et de surcroît cette tension est parfaitement désamorcée dans le dernier chapitre.
La véritable star du livre, ce sont les maths. Du niveau fin collège, début lycée avec Tétra qui demande de l’aide au narrateur pour progresser dans cette matière alors qu’elle excelle plutôt dans les langues. D’un solide niveau lycée pour le narrateur. Avec des envolées dans le supérieur pour Miruka, la plus douée et passionnée des trois.
Cependant, il ne s’agit pas d’un manuel : le principe des trois compères est de partir d’une question, d’une formule, et d’expérimenter et découvrir ce qu’ils peuvent. Ils y sont aidés par un professeur qui leur donne des "devoirs" supplémentaires sous formes de questions ouvertes. Il s’agit donc de maths "plaisir" qui permettent de re-découvrir des notions sous d’autres points de vue.
La fin du livre et l’épilogue m’ont beaucoup plu, un peu dans le style doux-amer japonais.
Le livre joue sur le genre des romans sentimentaux, mais si l’on sent une légère tension dans ce qui s’annonce un triangle amoureux, on reste sur du plus que platonique. Et de surcroît cette tension est parfaitement désamorcée dans le dernier chapitre.
La véritable star du livre, ce sont les maths. Du niveau fin collège, début lycée avec Tétra qui demande de l’aide au narrateur pour progresser dans cette matière alors qu’elle excelle plutôt dans les langues. D’un solide niveau lycée pour le narrateur. Avec des envolées dans le supérieur pour Miruka, la plus douée et passionnée des trois.
Cependant, il ne s’agit pas d’un manuel : le principe des trois compères est de partir d’une question, d’une formule, et d’expérimenter et découvrir ce qu’ils peuvent. Ils y sont aidés par un professeur qui leur donne des "devoirs" supplémentaires sous formes de questions ouvertes. Il s’agit donc de maths "plaisir" qui permettent de re-découvrir des notions sous d’autres points de vue.
La fin du livre et l’épilogue m’ont beaucoup plu, un peu dans le style doux-amer japonais.
May 1, 2020
2 stars a book I didn't finish?
It's because I don't see a way to mark this as set aside for now.
I love the concept. A fictional story about high school girls that fall in love with math and each other. The math content covers a wiiiiiiiiide range - I could've pretty much gotten a math degree from this. But, my goodness, the fictional plot bits felt so forced. I don't think it's a translation issue. Imagine taking your math textbook, and instead of third-person prose explaining the concepts, it is replaced with dialogue. Also, the premise of two girls who loooooooove math, does extra math problems for fun and explores this world without any sort of guidance from their teachers is just... odd.
It's because I don't see a way to mark this as set aside for now.
I love the concept. A fictional story about high school girls that fall in love with math and each other. The math content covers a wiiiiiiiiide range - I could've pretty much gotten a math degree from this. But, my goodness, the fictional plot bits felt so forced. I don't think it's a translation issue. Imagine taking your math textbook, and instead of third-person prose explaining the concepts, it is replaced with dialogue. Also, the premise of two girls who loooooooove math, does extra math problems for fun and explores this world without any sort of guidance from their teachers is just... odd.
November 11, 2024
Definitely the most unique book I’ve ever read. I’m just glad to have finished it. The book combines both an unfurling love story and hardcore mathematics. Not sure who this is marketed towards because the romance is YA or even middle grade but the math is college or even PHD level. Everything from Catalan numbers to discrete mathematics and heavy calls to Euler are discussed. While it was very well written, it was difficult for me to grasp it as someone who has only just finished taking Calculus. I wonder if the other novels that only focus on one subject might be more easy to understand.
December 27, 2025
Aquest és un llibre que em va encantar. La història és una mica fluixeta, excepte quan arriba a l'epíleg, que em va emocionar molt. Però la part matemàtica, el tenir dues noies: una que té idees brillants i en sap molt i l'altra que té més dificultats i necessita que li expliquin les coses amb calma, em va encantar. No negaré que algun cop la part de la Tetra em posava nerviosa, perquè li costava entendre les coses, però entenc la necessitat. I d'altra banda, hi ha coses que es veu que es fan diferent que aquí i m'ha agradat veure com es feien. Seguiré amb els següents.
August 1, 2020
A fascinating book that is half a YA romance novel and half upper level Maths textbook. It was an enjoyable read (even when the Maths was well above my level) and it was nice to have the mathematical contrasts between Tetra and Miruka. It also had a great underlying message about learning mathematics: that it is about hard work, learning and playing rather than just about applying formulas and innate talent.
December 28, 2020
I enjoyed this book, it read like a novel, but contained lots of discussions about mathematics formulas, equations, etc. I thought it was a great way to show students talking about math and working on problems together. What a cool concept to have the teacher give problems to students to try on their own outside of normal studies. I only wish I had more time to really delve into the problems presented in the book to fully understand them. Perhaps someday I will have a chance.
March 31, 2024
What a unique and captivating read! It read in many places like textbook, but it was so enjoyable and really stretched my brain to grasp intricate math concepts. I have a mathematical background (MSc in Physics) but still found it challenging at times.
The story weaving it together helped bring the math to life, and not only did I learn a lot, but found the characters well written and fun to follow.
The story weaving it together helped bring the math to life, and not only did I learn a lot, but found the characters well written and fun to follow.
February 21, 2017
This book is amazing. It gives the reader tools to solve all sorts of problems and really makes you think. I'll probably have to read this again a few more times to get everything out of it that I can.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews