A fascinating connection between mathematics and literature has been discovered, revealing that both art forms share a common goal - to persuade and illuminate. The persistence of chiasmus and ring composition across genres could be seen as an example of "exaptation," where one field co-opts the style of another for its own purposes. This phenomenon is not unique to literature, as mathematics has also borrowed from literature for centuries.

Source: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/infinite-proofs-the-effects-of-mathematics-on-david-foster-wallace/