Bettie's Books

bookshelves: spring-2015, published-2014, radio-4, nonfiction, translation, france

BABT

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b054pmgr

Description: Rock-star mathematician Cédric Villani's magical mystery tour through the world of mathematics.

He describes the journey which sees him wrestling with and taming a new theorem that will win him the most coveted prize in his field.

Along the way he encounters obstacles and setbacks, losses of faith and even brushes with madness. His story is one of courage and partnership, elation and despair.

His account unlocks what goes on inside the head of a mathematician and captures where inspiration comes from. Blending science with history, biography with myth, Villani conjures up a cast of mathematical greats including the omnipresent Einstein and Villani's personal hero, John Nash.

Read by Julian Rhind-Tutt

Translated by Malcolm DeBevoise
Abridged by Richard Hamilton
Produced by Gemma Jenkins

Cédric Villani is a French mathematician who has received many international awards for his work. In 2010 he was awarded the Fields Medal, the International Medal for Outstanding Discoveries in Mathematics, for his work on Landau damping and the Boltzmann equation. Often called 'the mathematicians' Nobel Prize', it is awarded every four years and is viewed by some as the highest honour a mathematician can achieve.



1/5: The Most Beautiful Equation in the World



2/5: Landau Damping: The Cold, Unattainable Beauty: Villani relishes months of uninterrupted research at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study.

Landau Damping

3/5: Breakthroughs and Setbacks: A series of breakthroughs and set-backs as the proof of Landau damping remains elusive.

4/5: Eureka! Rejection by prestigious journal Acta Mathematica proves to be a turning point.

5/5: The Fields Medal: Villani learns he's been awarded the most coveted prize in mathematics, the Fields Medal.



In the same way that the maths didn't interfere with enjoyment of A Beautiful Mind about John Nash, knowing nothing about Landau Damping does not impede my enjoyment of learning about this personable and flamboyantly togged genius, Cédric Villani.

Here he is in action on The beautiful minds: Cedric Villani at TEDxOrangeCoast , And am I alone in thinking he would make a fantastic Dr Who...