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Professor of Mathematics Marcus du Sautoy reveals the personalities behind the calculations and argues that mathematics is the driving force behind modern science.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Mathematicians’ biographies and rivalries • key ideas: calculus, primes, infinity, chaos, group theory, curved space • modern impacts: cryptography, relativity, statistics, particle physics, signal processing, internet/search enginesThis podcast is a narrative history of mathematics told through the lives, rivalries, and ideas of major mathematicians and mathematical collectives from the late 17th century to the modern era. Hosted by Professor Marcus du Sautoy, it emphasizes how abstract mathematical concepts emerged from particular historical moments and distinctive personalities, and how those concepts became foundational tools for later science and technology.
Across the episodes, the focus repeatedly returns to mathematical breakthroughs that changed what could be understood or computed: the development of calculus, new ways of thinking about space and curvature, and rigorous approaches to structure and proof. The podcast often connects these advances to wide-reaching consequences, showing how techniques originating in pure mathematics later became essential to fields such as physics, statistics, and information technology. Listeners encounter ideas linked to prime numbers and modern cryptography, mathematical descriptions of infinity, the origins of chaos theory, and the frameworks that made relativity mathematically workable.
Another recurring theme is the relationship between individual genius and collaborative or institutional efforts. Alongside portraits of influential figures, the series also explores the impact of a pseudonymous group that sought to reshape the discipline through a unified, highly systematic approach, highlighting how mathematical culture and presentation can influence the direction of research.
The storytelling blends biography with explanation of key concepts at a high level, using examples of real-world application—such as communications, sound, medical statistics, and internet search—to illustrate why these discoveries matter beyond the page. Overall, the content presents mathematics as an evolving human endeavor, driven by creativity and competition, and tightly interwoven with the development of modern science.
| Episodes: |
Nicolas Bourbaki2010-Oct-01 14 minutes |
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Hardy and Ramanujan 2010-Oct-01 14 minutes |
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Henri Poincaré 2010-Sep-30 14 minutes |
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Georg Cantor 2010-Sep-30 14 minutes |
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The Mathematicians Who Helped Einstein 2010-Sep-29 13 minutes |
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Carl Friedrich Gauss 2010-Sep-29 13 minutes |
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Evariste Galois 2010-Sep-28 13 minutes |
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Joseph Fourier 2010-Sep-28 14 minutes |
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Leonhard Euler 2010-Sep-27 13 minutes |
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Newton and Leibniz 2010-Sep-27 14 minutes |