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The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus: The Mathematics of Christmas
How do you apply game theory to select who should be on your Christmas shopping list? What equations should you use to decorate the Christmas tree? Will calculations show Santa is getting steadily thinner—shimmying up and down chimneys for a whole night—or fatter—as he munches on cookies and milk in billions of houses across the world?
In The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus, distinguished mathematicians Hannah Fry and Thomas Oléron Evans demonstrate, with eminently readable clarity, how applied mathematics are so thoroughly interwoven throughout our everyday lives by explaining mathematical concepts through one very merry motif: Christmas.
In their quest to provide mathematical proof for the existence of Santa, the authors take readers on a festive journey through a traditional holiday season, wherein every activity, from wrapping presents to playing board games to cooking the perfect turkey, is painstakingly and hilariously analyzed. Because who hasn’t always wondered how to set up a mathematically perfect Secret Santa?
Lighthearted and diverting with Christmasy diagrams, sketches and graphs, equations, Markov chains, and matrices, The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus brightens up the bleak midwinter with stockingsful of mathematical marvels.
In The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus, distinguished mathematicians Hannah Fry and Thomas Oléron Evans demonstrate, with eminently readable clarity, how applied mathematics are so thoroughly interwoven throughout our everyday lives by explaining mathematical concepts through one very merry motif: Christmas.
In their quest to provide mathematical proof for the existence of Santa, the authors take readers on a festive journey through a traditional holiday season, wherein every activity, from wrapping presents to playing board games to cooking the perfect turkey, is painstakingly and hilariously analyzed. Because who hasn’t always wondered how to set up a mathematically perfect Secret Santa?
Lighthearted and diverting with Christmasy diagrams, sketches and graphs, equations, Markov chains, and matrices, The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus brightens up the bleak midwinter with stockingsful of mathematical marvels.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published November 3, 2016
156 people are currently reading
2283 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Fry
15 books850 followersDr Hannah Fry is a lecturer in the Mathematics of Cities at the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis at UCL. She works alongside a unique mix of physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists, architects and geographers to study the patterns in human behaviour - particularly in an urban setting. Her research applies to a wide range of social problems and questions, from shopping and transport to urban crime, riots and terrorism.
Alongside her academic position, Hannah spends many of her days giving conference keynotes and taking the joy of maths into theatres, pubs and schools. She also regularly appears on TV and radio in the UK, most recently on BBC2's Six Degrees and in her own documentary charting the life of Lady Ada Lovelace.
Alongside her academic position, Hannah spends many of her days giving conference keynotes and taking the joy of maths into theatres, pubs and schools. She also regularly appears on TV and radio in the UK, most recently on BBC2's Six Degrees and in her own documentary charting the life of Lady Ada Lovelace.
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December 28, 2017The mathematics of Christmas: A review of the Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus
in: https://theconversation.com/the-mathe...
❄️🎅❄️
in: https://theconversation.com/the-mathe...
❄️🎅❄️
December 27, 2021
Bit of a ramble. Please bear with me:
2021 has been a stinker in more ways than one, and my deteriorating mental health has, among other things, affected my desire and ability to read books.
I am well on the way to recovery and I said to my talking therapist a few weeks ago that I had a goal over the winter break to read a book. Reading was fundamental to my personality before I became so ill- it’s part of who I am, I am Sarah who loves to read books. Reading a book to completion would be an epic achievement on my road to recovery.
Goodreads friends: I did it. I read a book to completion. It was funny, it was informative, and I loved it. I chose a book by a female mathematician who I admire, hoping for a triumph, and I did. I believe I have turned a corner and I will now be back in your newsfeeds, annoying you with books about maths and classics and other things that make me who I am.
2021 has been a stinker in more ways than one, and my deteriorating mental health has, among other things, affected my desire and ability to read books.
I am well on the way to recovery and I said to my talking therapist a few weeks ago that I had a goal over the winter break to read a book. Reading was fundamental to my personality before I became so ill- it’s part of who I am, I am Sarah who loves to read books. Reading a book to completion would be an epic achievement on my road to recovery.
Goodreads friends: I did it. I read a book to completion. It was funny, it was informative, and I loved it. I chose a book by a female mathematician who I admire, hoping for a triumph, and I did. I believe I have turned a corner and I will now be back in your newsfeeds, annoying you with books about maths and classics and other things that make me who I am.
July 11, 2020
Сонирхолтой, хурдан уншаад дуусдаг ном. :)
Сониуч, Математикт дуртай хүнд яг таарна. :)
Сониуч, Математикт дуртай хүнд яг таарна. :)
December 27, 2019
A very fun and festive book. I always love Hannah's writing! Most of the book is very accessible though a few of the calculations for wrapping paper and cooking turkey were a bit too much for my Christmassy brain power, so I decided to just trust them and carry on. the main thing is that Santa has been proved real, once and for all, so I'm happy.
August 5, 2024
Had I paid the RRP of £9.99 for this (though tbh, it's a stocking filler - not the sort of book you buy for yourself normally) I would've been slightly disappointed, but for a quid fifty from a charity shop, that wasn't a concern. A breezy, at times funny and at time cringey, often interesting little jaunt through the mathematics of Christmas - present wrapping topology, game theory in Monopoly, rudimentary generation of The Queen's Speech, Santa's calorific intake, crackers and a few other things beside. I particularly enjoyed the discussions of cooking a solid spherical turkey. So a three out of five only because I was vaguely irritated by the commercial nature and brevity.
December 18, 2016
I hate math. There. I said it. Homework throughout my entire academic journey gave me near crippling anxiety. That said, the authors of this book purport their belief that "mathematics is so powerful that it has the potential to offer a new way of looking at anything — even something as warm and wonderful as Christmas." From trimming the tree, wrapping presents, to Secret Santa exchanges, I now believe that, too. I would have rated this book a four, but the delightful illustrations bumped it up to a five. Thank you Transworld Books for a fun giveaway. Exciting to have received bookmail from London!
December 27, 2018
No, you don't need to be a math nerd to like this.
I'm a math nerd, I'll admit that much. Perhaps that disqualifies me from stating my opinion on this, but I'll do it anyway: The math in this book is easy to follow, and even if you can't follow it, I think you'll understand what's going on anyway. The authors explain everything in a simple, but not condescending way, and it's sprinkled with humour. Yes, it's evident that they are trying to be funny, but it works.
Have some fun this Christmas.
I'm a math nerd, I'll admit that much. Perhaps that disqualifies me from stating my opinion on this, but I'll do it anyway: The math in this book is easy to follow, and even if you can't follow it, I think you'll understand what's going on anyway. The authors explain everything in a simple, but not condescending way, and it's sprinkled with humour. Yes, it's evident that they are trying to be funny, but it works.
Have some fun this Christmas.
December 2, 2019
Probably not meant to be read through in one sitting, the humor can become forced at times. That said, there is humor, intelligent footnotes, and the math is well explained. The worst thing are the references to various youtube channels and demonstrations - this felt like a paper copy of a video.
January 16, 2021
I am following Numberphile channel on YouTube and in one of the videos Hannah Fry was talking about her book “The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus”. I love math, statistics, and fun facts, so the book looked very suitable for me.
Based on the contents of the book, someone who have watched every single Numberphile video will find little to no new ideas. I already knew how to win at Monopoly based on statistics (but somehow I can win by owning brown worthless set). I already heard that it is possible to cut a three-layer sandwich in completely equally good sides – this concept is adapted as one of the ways to cut a Christmas cake. Another one is similar to sharing the apartment with several people where everybody gets their own room, but the rooms are different in size and the appropriate price needs to be set. Most of not-so-new information is in the form of endnotes: general descriptions of paradoxes, dilemmas, theorems, chains, even laws of physics. But it all is adapted for celebrating Christmas.
“The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus” is about British Christmas and a person from the different country might learn some new traditions, some of which are quite strange (what are these Christmas crackers anyways?). The book contains images and diagrams on how to implement all the ideas. However, I missed a little bit deeper look into present wrapping. There is a comparison between square and diagonal wrapping methods, but the efficiency of paper usage is calculated only with perfectly sized paper for a gift. The authors did not go into the direction to explain why diagonal approach works when paper for square approach is a bit short on one side, but long on the other (I have done that myself and, surprisingly, it worked).
P. S. Hanna Fry knows that the designer of the book made wrong snowflakes – they should have 6-fold, not 8-fold symmetry.
-----
2021-ųjų skaitymo iššūkis
MINI
1. Raudona (viršelio spalva ar pavadinime)
Knygos viršelis yra raudonas su minimalistiniais grafiniais elementais.
MIDI
6. Knyga, perskaityta užsienio kalba
Knygą skaičiau originalo, anglų, kalba.
19. Knyga, kurioje švenčiamos Šv. Kalėdos arba Šv. Velykos
Visa knyga skirta Kalėdų šventimui: nuo sąrašo sudarymo slaptam keitimuisi dovanomis, dovanų vyniojimo, iki bandymo nuspėti karalienės kalbą ir laimėjimo žaidžiant Monopolį.
MAKSI
16. Knyga, kurią perskaitei per dieną ar dvi
Aš šią knygą perskaičiau per 2 dienas, bet laisvai galima ir per vieną, nes ji vos 150 puslapių ir dar su iliustracijomis.
Based on the contents of the book, someone who have watched every single Numberphile video will find little to no new ideas. I already knew how to win at Monopoly based on statistics (but somehow I can win by owning brown worthless set). I already heard that it is possible to cut a three-layer sandwich in completely equally good sides – this concept is adapted as one of the ways to cut a Christmas cake. Another one is similar to sharing the apartment with several people where everybody gets their own room, but the rooms are different in size and the appropriate price needs to be set. Most of not-so-new information is in the form of endnotes: general descriptions of paradoxes, dilemmas, theorems, chains, even laws of physics. But it all is adapted for celebrating Christmas.
“The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus” is about British Christmas and a person from the different country might learn some new traditions, some of which are quite strange (what are these Christmas crackers anyways?). The book contains images and diagrams on how to implement all the ideas. However, I missed a little bit deeper look into present wrapping. There is a comparison between square and diagonal wrapping methods, but the efficiency of paper usage is calculated only with perfectly sized paper for a gift. The authors did not go into the direction to explain why diagonal approach works when paper for square approach is a bit short on one side, but long on the other (I have done that myself and, surprisingly, it worked).
P. S. Hanna Fry knows that the designer of the book made wrong snowflakes – they should have 6-fold, not 8-fold symmetry.
-----
2021-ųjų skaitymo iššūkis
MINI
1. Raudona (viršelio spalva ar pavadinime)
Knygos viršelis yra raudonas su minimalistiniais grafiniais elementais.
MIDI
6. Knyga, perskaityta užsienio kalba
Knygą skaičiau originalo, anglų, kalba.
19. Knyga, kurioje švenčiamos Šv. Kalėdos arba Šv. Velykos
Visa knyga skirta Kalėdų šventimui: nuo sąrašo sudarymo slaptam keitimuisi dovanomis, dovanų vyniojimo, iki bandymo nuspėti karalienės kalbą ir laimėjimo žaidžiant Monopolį.
MAKSI
16. Knyga, kurią perskaitei per dieną ar dvi
Aš šią knygą perskaičiau per 2 dienas, bet laisvai galima ir per vieną, nes ji vos 150 puslapių ir dar su iliustracijomis.
December 24, 2025
A fun and entertaining way to introduce more complex mathematics. Frankly, I did not care to apply myself to learning the math but was interested in being entertained by the use of math to "solve" holiday issues. Others may have found the tangents annoying, but those were the interesting parts. For instance, party poppers aka crackers are not as common in the U.S. or, obviously, the Queen's speech, but it was interesting as cultural history.
If you are looking for a holiday read that is different try this out.
If you are looking for a holiday read that is different try this out.
December 29, 2018
This is a sweet little book. Took me like one and a half days to read it. Kinda corny at times (okay, maybe many times), but it's the time of the year when corny is most well-received anyway. Happy Holidays, everyone!
January 1, 2019
If people taught math like this, I might be a mathematician instead. I loved it, even when the math was a bit over my head.
July 5, 2020
What an excellent read. Light and super informative, plus a lot of fun for the Christmas lovers! I don't think I've seen Markov chains explained better than this anywhere else!!!
December 27, 2021
Good fun, silly applications of maths
January 5, 2022
the maths is easy to follow n it's broken into nice lil chunks so you can dip in and out 🎄
November 24, 2021
Ya Mathematics is cool and all, but what is knowing the caloric intake of Santa really gonna do for me :/
I enjoyed the idea of this book that there are a lot of common, everyday tasks which can be optimized with high level mathematics. I wish the examples were a little more practical (like the Monopoly chapter was the most interesting IMO).
This book did make me want to refresh my knowledge of eigenvectors and Markov Matrices so I guess it achieved its desired effect.
I enjoyed the idea of this book that there are a lot of common, everyday tasks which can be optimized with high level mathematics. I wish the examples were a little more practical (like the Monopoly chapter was the most interesting IMO).
This book did make me want to refresh my knowledge of eigenvectors and Markov Matrices so I guess it achieved its desired effect.
December 16, 2022
I never knew a Markov chain could roast King Charles like that, but I am not mad at it.
December 5, 2016
The mathematics sometimes goes over my head and at other times I get it thanks to a HNC in chemistry and some over lapping formula. Neatly packaged into 10 chapters makes the book easy to put down and have a rest which is needed in my case on the mathematics of wrapping presents and making decorations, my Manual Dexterity is useless. I once got zero in a plant sectioning attempt in A level biology. Without giving anything away the authors prove Santa exists but I prefer using Father Christmas because I'm from the UK. I have to take issue with Fry and Oleron Evans for revealing how to win at Monopoly and in particularly which properties to buy. My brothers and I came to the same conclusions years ago and we'd swap with our non the wiser nephews and nieces for utilities and railway stations. I would like to say I also did try to introduce the same Secret Santa formula into work but I was out voted for a random draw from a brown paper bag as it was too complicated (according to them) utter balderdash. I enjoyed the book's jokey style and it did genuinely make me laugh. A jolly good read and you can play Queen's Speech bingo.
January 4, 2021
So, I love Hannah Fry, and I really enjoyed this book. I love how funny it was and how silly the authours were, but if anything, the thing keeping it from being a 5 star book is that the math and the concepts were too simple. I know, I know, who is this ridiculous girl who is hating on math books built for the masses, but honestly there are only so many times you can read about how to cut a cake fairly before it's just old math.
The chapters I liked the most were mainly those that addressed a concept that I hadn't yet studied or seen before, like the idea of the secret Santa set up which allows you to first set up the permutation loop and then put people into it. I have seen heat transfer, and fluid dynamics before so while the turkey chapter was hilarious, it didn't feel like I learned anything.
Okay, so I know this book isn't necessarily about learning a lot, but maybe it goes to show you can only read so many math books before you want to level up the math. I was really just hoping they'd explain Gaussian Process Regression to me in there somewhere. :)
The chapters I liked the most were mainly those that addressed a concept that I hadn't yet studied or seen before, like the idea of the secret Santa set up which allows you to first set up the permutation loop and then put people into it. I have seen heat transfer, and fluid dynamics before so while the turkey chapter was hilarious, it didn't feel like I learned anything.
Okay, so I know this book isn't necessarily about learning a lot, but maybe it goes to show you can only read so many math books before you want to level up the math. I was really just hoping they'd explain Gaussian Process Regression to me in there somewhere. :)
December 14, 2019
This is a fun, nerdy Christmas book (perfect for me!). It reads pretty quickly and even if you’re not great at math it should make sense. Graphs and diagrams are included. Who doesn’t want to prove Santa exists, indisputably? Other Christmas topics are discussed as well, including decorating the tree, buying presents, turkey cooking, present wrapping, and how to win at Monopoly, among other things. This is super fun and highly recommended. Santa does exist!
November 8, 2021
Very funny and accessible to those who have little math knowledge. The enjoyment from the book would still be significant if all of the formula were ignored as the text itself is exemplary in its explanations.
Queenie Bingo will definitely be on the cards!
Queenie Bingo will definitely be on the cards!
December 6, 2016
Math has taken practicality to another level altogether, and messed up my brains about the simplicity of wrapping and buying presents and decorating a Christmas tree, forever!
December 17, 2016
I never thought looking at a holiday from a truly mathematical perspective could be so fun!
September 10, 2024
So hilarious and jubilant! I particularly enjoyed the chapter about the Queen's Christmas Speech hehe ❤️❤️
December 25, 2025
Recommended: yep!
For math in applicable life situations thought a bit obscure sometimes, for playfulness and humor
Thoughts:
This book was cute as fuck, considering how much actual mathy math stuff there was in it. I'm talking full up equations of gibberish, with multiple variations to account for any angle you could take at the issue. And terms! HONESTLY, I was read another book just after finishing with this one that mentioned a way to define and organize a city including "nodes and edges" AND I KNEW WHAT THAT MEANT! Because I had *just* read about what the fuck a node and edge map / graph was in this Christmas book the day before! I loved that because they kept emphasizing too that math connects all things, even ones that don't seem at all related. This was the most perfectly timed example of that.
Read this in a day, only fell asleep once, and smiled a lot through it and also actually learned?? This was also a book for "read all the Storygraph genres" challenge -- only Economics is left now!
They do "answer" the title question, as much as it can be... but there are other topics too! Like how to perfectly and most efficiently wrap strangely shaped objects, and the best cooking times and methods for turkeys of various stuffing-level and size. The topics are definitely Christmas themed, but it's not like they can't apply to other things too. People wrap gifts or cook turkeys for other stuff. And learning which spaces in Monopoly are most likely to be landed on, and therefore which ones to buy, and therefore how to WIN MONOPOLY? Uh, hell yeah.
Overall, as weird as it might sound to recommend a book full of math for Christmas, this was a genuinely enjoyable read! And really accessible, as they explained all the terms and icons and concepts, but also formatted it so I could kind of skim those bits and just read the explanation of what they're doing at the end. xD
For math in applicable life situations thought a bit obscure sometimes, for playfulness and humor
Thoughts:
This book was cute as fuck, considering how much actual mathy math stuff there was in it. I'm talking full up equations of gibberish, with multiple variations to account for any angle you could take at the issue. And terms! HONESTLY, I was read another book just after finishing with this one that mentioned a way to define and organize a city including "nodes and edges" AND I KNEW WHAT THAT MEANT! Because I had *just* read about what the fuck a node and edge map / graph was in this Christmas book the day before! I loved that because they kept emphasizing too that math connects all things, even ones that don't seem at all related. This was the most perfectly timed example of that.
Read this in a day, only fell asleep once, and smiled a lot through it and also actually learned?? This was also a book for "read all the Storygraph genres" challenge -- only Economics is left now!
They do "answer" the title question, as much as it can be... but there are other topics too! Like how to perfectly and most efficiently wrap strangely shaped objects, and the best cooking times and methods for turkeys of various stuffing-level and size. The topics are definitely Christmas themed, but it's not like they can't apply to other things too. People wrap gifts or cook turkeys for other stuff. And learning which spaces in Monopoly are most likely to be landed on, and therefore which ones to buy, and therefore how to WIN MONOPOLY? Uh, hell yeah.
Overall, as weird as it might sound to recommend a book full of math for Christmas, this was a genuinely enjoyable read! And really accessible, as they explained all the terms and icons and concepts, but also formatted it so I could kind of skim those bits and just read the explanation of what they're doing at the end. xD
December 26, 2017
Providing “all the tools you need to plan the perfect mathematical Christmas” (p. 20) The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus: The Mathematics of Christmas is an entertaining novelty book that tries to be a little too clever for its own good. Tackling such subjects as decorating a Christmas tree, cooking a turkey, creating ornaments, winning at Monopoly, and organizing a Secret Santa, Drs. Hannah Fry and Thomas Oléron Evans go through the math step by step. And of course all of the equations and theorems are accompanied with the appropriate charts, graphs, and diagrams. Lucky the authors have a sense of humor about what they’re doing and there’s a lot of tongue in cheek to their discussions of math and Christmas. Still, it gets to be too much after a while and the topics get progressively less interesting. While it delivers a few laughs and educates a bit, The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus: The Mathematics of Christmas overstays its welcome and becomes quite a chore to get through.
January 3, 2021
Disclaimer: I understand that this book qualifies as a “pop math” book and it’s under the assumption that readers have a pre-requisite of a certain level of mathematical knowledge.
I give this book a high 3/low 4. While the book was without a doubt entertaining, comedic, and generally well-written for the non-mathematician, I would say there are some mathematical concepts that went above my head that created a mild distraction for getting through the book. The Secret Santa chapter, in particular, took a little delay in my reading due to some of the concepts being explained in a bit too “mathy” of a way or instances when Fry and Evans would dig into some mathematical proofs. However, this did not deter from my overall enjoyment of this book.
Definitely recommend because it’s a unique holiday book and a quick read everyone will enjoy, but certainly more enjoyable the more mathematical knowledge you possess.
I give this book a high 3/low 4. While the book was without a doubt entertaining, comedic, and generally well-written for the non-mathematician, I would say there are some mathematical concepts that went above my head that created a mild distraction for getting through the book. The Secret Santa chapter, in particular, took a little delay in my reading due to some of the concepts being explained in a bit too “mathy” of a way or instances when Fry and Evans would dig into some mathematical proofs. However, this did not deter from my overall enjoyment of this book.
Definitely recommend because it’s a unique holiday book and a quick read everyone will enjoy, but certainly more enjoyable the more mathematical knowledge you possess.
December 22, 2022
"This is exactly the sort of thing that happens when you recklessly try to have fun without taking the time to analyze your situation mathematically."
This is a fun little book for Christmas… if you are into mathematics. The author is funny - at least as funny as mathematicians can be - and while I am no mathematician, I do like mathematics and I quite liked this book.
I was introduced to Dr. Hannah Fry through a YouTube video (I can't recall if it was on Brady Haran's Numberphile or Mat Parker's Stand-up Maths) and since then I have seen her on many other videos in some of which she explains the concepts and the theorems behind some of the chapters of this book.
Do read it if you like mathematics and you are in Christmas mood!
This is a fun little book for Christmas… if you are into mathematics. The author is funny - at least as funny as mathematicians can be - and while I am no mathematician, I do like mathematics and I quite liked this book.
I was introduced to Dr. Hannah Fry through a YouTube video (I can't recall if it was on Brady Haran's Numberphile or Mat Parker's Stand-up Maths) and since then I have seen her on many other videos in some of which she explains the concepts and the theorems behind some of the chapters of this book.
Do read it if you like mathematics and you are in Christmas mood!
October 9, 2018
I spotted this while walking through the library and immediately thought of a semitic idea along these lines, before even checking out the content. I took out the book, and found an uproarious collection of mathematical nerdiness, hilariously applied. Now the math is way over my head, and irreproducible from my own brain, but my specific idea? I'm going to run with it. I'm not scared of the math for that one. Stay tuned. If I can flesh it out into a book idea (likelihood: 13.7%), then these authors are going to get a big, fat acknowledgement.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews