TV series tells maths tales
06 Oct 08
BBC Four’s The Story of Maths sees Oxford’s Professor Marcus du Sautoy cross continents and investigate ancient cultures to explore where maths came from and its role in the rise of civilisation. The series begins tonight.
Maths is at the heart of the modern world and is essential to areas as diverse as architecture and commerce, navigation and information technology. But how did the maths that drives everything from mobile phones to aeroplanes come to be?
‘I think most people have the impression that mathematics was somehow handed down to us as some finished product in a text book,’ said Professor du Sautoy of Oxford’s Mathematical Institute. ‘I think it will be very empowering to people to see that mathematics was created by people struggling with new ideas.’
The four-part series traces mathematics back to its origins in the cultures of ancient Egypt and Greece, shows how it was transformed by new ideas from China, India and the Middle East and explores the problems set by Twentieth Century mathematicians that remain unsolved to this day.
Professor du Sautoy said: ‘We tried in these programmes to mirror the intellectual and historical journey of The Story of Maths with a physical journey across the globe. The style I hoped to create was a kind of Michael Palin meets Bronowski, a sort of Around the World in 80 Theorems!’
Read an interview with Marcus on the Oxford Science Blog.
The first part of The Story of Maths airs tonight on BBC Four at 9pm.
