Fortunately, this book has very little to do with algebra. It's the first non-Culture SF novel from Banks in quite some time, although it almost feels like it could be a very early in the timeline culture prequel, except for some details.

I enjoyed it fairly well, though it didn't break any new grounds for Banks. The twist at the end did surprise me, though there are sufficient hints that a more attentive reader than myself should be able to figure it out. Worth reading if you're a Banks fan, and probably a better place to start with his work than a random Culture novel.