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Last broadcast on Sat, 8 Aug 2009, 19:30 on BBC Four (see all broadcasts).
Synopsis
Four-part series about the history of mathematics, presented by Oxford professor Marcus du Sautoy.
By the 17th century, Europe had taken over from the Middle East as the world's powerhouse of mathematical ideas. Great strides had been made in understanding the geometry of objects fixed in time and space. The race was now on to discover the mathematics to describe objects in motion.
In this programme, Marcus du Sautoy explores the work of René Descartes and Pierre Fermat, whose famous Last Theorem would puzzle mathematicians for more than 350 years. He also examines Isaac Newton's development of the calculus, and goes in search of Leonard Euler, the father of topology or 'bendy geometry' and Carl Friedrich Gauss, who, at the age of 24, was responsible for inventing a new way of handling equations: modular arithmetic.
take it further:
Discover Marcus Du Sautoy's thoughts about the most important of all intellectual disciplines at the Open University.
Presenter story:
Marcus Du Sautoy shares his experiences of exploring the fascinating tale of maths.
Read about Marcus' journey of mathematical discovery at Open2.net
Credits
- Presenter
- Marcus du Sautoy
- Producer
- David Berry
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