![]() As a matter of fact, despite being quite dumb, Detritus is really good at counting (I just realized this is a pretty apt description of computers) he's just most used to powers of two. When Cuddy and Detritus are sent on patrol and begrudgingly get to know each other better, Cuddy discovers that the expressions Detritus uses - such as "two and one" for "three" - don't mean that he cannot count. Trolls become smarter when it's cold, because their brain conductivity increases (this would come up a few more times in the series).Trolls naturally count in base two (which unfortunately is never explored in subsequent books), and.In this book Pratchett introduces one of the most successful ideas of the Discworld series: trolls - which in this universe are big humanoids made of stone - have brains that are mostly silicon, and therefore they are essentially living computers. However, mathematics plays an important role in the subplot where Cuddy the dwarf and Detritus the troll overcome their mutual dislike (on Discworld, dwarfs and trolls cannot stand each other). The main plot is not math-related: the Night Watch has to solve a series of mysterious murders, all while dealing with the internal tensions due to the Patrician-mandated hiring of "ethnic minorities" - namely, a dwarf, a troll and a woman (there's more to it, but I can't add anything without risking a spoiler). ![]() (click on names to see more mathematical fiction A list compiled by Alex Kasman ( College of Charleston)
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