We might argue that the particular words and symbols we use to express
mathematical concepts are not as important as the concepts themselves...and
mathematically that may well be the case. However, the point of this rare
Asimov story is that in certain circumstances they are quite important.
Here, Asimov's running mystery character Griswold uses number
words and number symbols to decipher the final message delivered a
beautiful French agent who had been captured by the Nazis.
Published in the August 1986 issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery
Magazine. |