Julia Robinson and Hilbert's Tenth Problem

Comment j'ai détesté les maths

November 2013 •French

What is striking when you talk with mathematicians is that sparkle in their eyes, and their sudden joyful voice trying to share with you a concept, a theory. They continuously use words such as invention, beauty, freedom. You then ask yourself : how such a rich language, this quasi-philosophical proposition about the world becomes rejected by a majority, 'the only discipline where one prides itself to be bad at it'!

The Spell of the Poincare Conjecture

January 2008 •English

The Joy of Chance

October 2012 •English

How can you maximize your chances of living until you’re 100? Why do many of us experience spooky coincidences? Should I take an umbrella? Professor David Spiegelhalter tries to pin down what chance is as he explores the mysteries of probability. In this compelling, funny BBC science documentary he tells the story of how we discovered the way chance works. But can we ever make chance work for us?

The Joy of Data

July 2016 •English

A witty and mind-expanding exploration of data, with mathematician Dr Hannah Fry. This high-tech romp reveals what data is and how it is captured, stored, shared and made sense of. Fry tells the story of the engineers of the data age, people most of us have never heard of despite the fact they brought about a technological and philosophical revolution.

Counting from Infinity: Yitang Zhang and the Twin Prime Conjecture

January 2015 •English

In April 2013, a lecturer at the University of New Hampshire submitted a paper to the Annals of Mathematics. Within weeks word spread: a little-known mathematician, with no permanent job, working in complete isolation, had made an important breakthrough toward solving the Twin Prime Conjecture. Yitang Zhang's techniques for bounding the gaps between primes soon led to rapid progress by the Polymath Group, and a further innovation by James Maynard.

Four-Point Conics

January 1961 •English

An experimental mathematics film designed to elucidate the study of four-line conics.

Clouds Are Not Spheres

January 2010 •English

Until recently geometry was 'cold', incapable of describing the irregular shape of a cloud, the slope of a mountain or the beauty of the human body. With fractal geometry, Benoit Mandelbrot gave us a language for our natural world. In this captivating documentary, the man himself explains this groundbreaking discovery.

Dimensions

Invalid date •French

Nine chapters, two hours of maths, that take you gradually up to the fourth dimension. Mathematical vertigo guaranteed!

Beautiful Young Minds

October 2007 •English

This BAFTA nominated documentary tells the story of some of the brightest mathematical brains of a generation. Each year, exceptionally gifted teenagers from over 90 countries compete for medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad. The film follows a group of brilliant teenagers as they battle it out to become the chosen six selected to represent the UK.

The Story of 1

September 2005 •English

A humor-inflected history of the of the number one, covering military applications in ancient Rome, the measurement of distances in India, and the decimal system created by Leibnitz.

Girls Who Fell in Love with Math

January 2017 •Chinese

The story of two girls, Alice Zhang and Fan Chung Graham, who grew up together in Taiwan in the 60s and dreamt of pursuing math.

Metamorphose: M.C. Escher, 1898-1972

July 1999 •English

A documentary about the life and works of the artist M. C. Escher. Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) usually referred to as M. C. Escher, was a Dutch graphic artist. He is known for his often mathematically inspired woodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints. These feature impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, architecture, and tessellations.

Theory of Sets

July 1991 •French

Made entirely on Roger Wagner's HyperStudio software, Chris Marker explores set theory, using Noah's Ark as an example.

Newton: The Dark Heretic

March 2003 •English

A BBC documentary uncovers, for the first time, the original manuscript where Newton forecast the date of the end of the world. Newton, the father of modern mathematics, dedicated a large part of his life to a quest to decode the Bible which he believed to be the word of God. For over 50 years, he studied the Bible trying to unravel God's secret laws of the Universe. He was fanatical in his quest to discover the date for the Second Coming of Christ and the end of the world. Scholars have spent years trying to unravel Newton's writings on the Book of Revelation to establish when he thought the apocalypse was coming.

The Standard Deviants: The Dangerous World of Pre-Calculus, Part 1

January 1996 •English

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO ACE PRE-CALCULUS IS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: functions, polynomials, f(x), RATIONAL FUNCTIONS, standard form for rational functions, disguised rational functions, multiplying rational functions, FOIL (review), dividing rational functions, invert & multiply, compound fractions, adding rational functions, common denominators, subtracting rational functions, all four operations together, graphing rational functions, discontinuities, removable singularity, vertical asymptotes, horizontal asymptotes, finding asymptotes, finding roots, word problems, SYSTEMS OF LINEAR EQUATIONS, solving graphically, algebraic substitution, algebraic elimination, SYSTEMS OF INEQUALITIES, inequality basics, graphing linear inequalities, SYSTEMS OF EQUATIONS WITH MORE THAN TWO VARIABLES

Miyamoto and the Machine: The Story of KenKen

December 2020 •English

Ten years ago, Tetsuya Miyamoto had a dream to change the world through puzzles. In his classroom in Yokohama, KenKen was born. Enter a world where puzzles matter. From Tokyo to New York, from the classroom to the puzzle page to the tournament floor, Miyamoto and the Machine takes you into the brain of the inventor and the players, all while the machines of business and technology crash into artistry and humanity. Miyamoto believes each handcrafted puzzle tells a story, and if you look hard enough between the rows, columns, and cages of KenKen, you can find the story of the sensei who started a global phenomenon.

Albert Einstein: l'homme et le génie

December 2015 •French

The Standard Deviants: The Many-Sided World of Geometry, Part 1

June 2002 •English

Every year, millions of high school and college students walk into their first geometry class thinking: "Circles and squares. How tough can it be?" Then they encounter the postulates, statements and theorems! But have no fear, our simple, straightforward format will help students understand and make sense of geometry.

The Standard Deviants: The Gravity-Packed World of Physics, Parts 1&2

September 2000 •English

Physics is a system of models of nature according to which all phenomena are explained in terms of matter and force. Sound confusing? It doesn't have to be! Whether you need help with high school physics, need to review for a college physics class, or you're studying for the AP Physics Exam, this physics tutorial will help you understand the basics, such as Newton's Laws, the Law of Universal Gravitation, Kepler's Law and more.

The Standard Deviants: The Adventurous World of College Algebra, Part 2

June 2004 •English

This DVD dives into the advanced principles of Algebra. The Standard Deviants tour of the world of algebra continues with complete coverage of quadratic equations, quadratic roots and factors, and higher order polynomials. Suitable for all ages, Algebra Part 2 clearly presents these principles in a fun and approachable manner. A completely stand-alone video! Part 1 is not required.