Jacques Roubaud: Literature, Mathematics, and the Quest for Truth

A text written according to a constraint
must speak of this constraint.
A text written according to
a mathematizable constraint
must contain the consequences of the
mathematical theory it illustrates.

Jacques Roubaud (Atlas, 90)

What do permutations or such mathematical theorems as the isomorphism of algebraic groups have to do with French literature? In 1960, a diverse group of poets, novelists, scientists, mathematicians and philosophers announced at Cérisy-la-Salle the foundation of a literary workshop–later called Oulipo, the acronym for Ouvroir de littérature potentielle. Establishing the aesthetic of formal constraint, Oulipo concentrates on the reciprocal relations between literature and mathematics. The group’s intention is to demonstrate the complementarity of these two modes of discourse in their work. One of the first members of the group, Jacques Roubaud, a professor of mathematics as well as a poet, novelist, and critic, succeeds especially well in mathematizing literary inspiration.