âVectors and [Eigen]Valuesâ: The Mathematics of Movement in Against the Day

Hanjo Berressem

Jump to Content

âVectors and [Eigen]Valuesâ: The Mathematics of Movement in Against the Day

äºAgainst the Grain

èèï¼

Hanjo Berressem

Hanjo Berressem
Search for other papers by Hanjo Berressem in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

ç±»å:: ç« è

Page Range:: 349â368

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789042030732_020

Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

â¬42.00â¬35.00Â excl. VAT

Add to Cart

æ¾åè®¿é®ä»¤ç

The essay traces one of Pynchonâs many mathematical references in Against the Day. The mathematical contexts are linear algebra and vector geometry, the specific reference is the term eigenvalue, an alloy of the German âeigenâ and the English âvalue.â Pynchon uses it in V. in reference to âpsychodontistâ Dudley Eigenvalue and his feeling of the loss of the continuity of history. In Against the Day, the reference is much more extended. In fact, it incorporates a fictional conversation about eigenvalues between Yashmeen Harcourt and David Hilbert, the German mathematician who originally coined the term in 1904. In that conversation, eigenvalues are said to function as the âspine of reality.â Along the term eigenvalue, as well as a number of other âeigenâ concepts, such as eigenvector, eigenfrequency and eigenorganization, the essay delineates Pynchonâs notion of a subject that is defined as a bundle of habits and frequenciesâor, in Pynchonâs terms, of âvibesââthat moves in a world defined as an infinitely complex and dynamic vector-space.

å¼ç¨ä¿¡æ¯

Save
Cite
Email this content

Share Link

Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend
Email this content
or copy the link directly:

https://brill.edhh.ma/abstract/book/9789042030732/B9789042030732-s020.xml
The link was not copied. Your current browser may not support copying via this button.

Link copied successfully

Against the Grain

Reading Pynchonâs Counternarratives

ä¸ç¼ï¼ Dialogue, å·ï¼ 8and Dialogue Online, å·ï¼ 8

ISBN:: 9789042030732

åºçç¤¾:: Brill

å°å·åºçæ¥æ:: 01 Jan 2010

Subjects
- American Studies
  - General

ç»è®¡æ°æ®

	å¨é¨æé´	è¿å»ä¸å¹´	è¿å»30å¤©
æè¦æµè§æ¬¡æ°	95	25	2
å¨ææµè§æ¬¡æ°	2	0	0
PDFä¸è½½æ¬¡æ°	11	1	0

African Studies	Education	Media Studies
American Studies	History	Middle East and Islamic Studies
Ancient Near East and Egypt	Human Rights and Humanitarian Law	Musicology
Art History	International Law	Philosophy
Asian Studies	International Relations	Religious Studies
Biblical Studies	Jewish Studies	Slavic and Eurasian Studies
Biology	Languages and Linguistics	Social Sciences
Book History and Cartography	Life Sciences	Theology and World Christianity
Classical Studies	Literature and Cultural Studies

Subjects

AppBar-Authors 2025

AppBar-Open Access 2025

AppBar-Product Information 2025

AppBar-Company 2025

AppBar-Contact 2025

âVectors and [Eigen]Valuesâ: The Mathematics of Movement in Against the Day

å¼ç¨ä¿¡æ¯

Share Link

Against the Grain

Reading Pynchonâs Counternarratives

ç®å½

ç»è®¡æ°æ®

ç»è®¡æ°æ®

âVectors and [Eigen]Valuesâ: The Mathematics of Movement in Against the Day

å¼ç¨ä¿¡æ¯

Reading Pynchonâs Counternarratives

ç»è®¡æ°æ®