Mathematics is a
science that deals with numbers and arithmetic. It helps in understanding the
changing world. It involves numbers, shapes and letters to represent and
explain. In the third episode of the story of maths which is titled as the
frontiers of space, the different mathematicians of Europe during the 17th
and 18th century were featured. These mathematicians lead the golden
age of mathematics where the foundation of the modern math was formed.
The first popular
person featured was Piero dela Francesca. Even he is mathematician but an
artist, his works is greatly influenced by geometry. He introduced the illusion
of perspective where imaginary lines meet at a vanishing point. The masterpiece
of art of dela Francesca is also a masterpiece of mathematics.
The next person
featured was Rene Descartes. He is a philosopher and mathematician. He helps in
understanding the geometry with the help of algebra. He merges to the two
branch of mathematics to form a theorem. The theorem states that curve lines
can be represented by an algebraic equation. The different equations formed will
tell us if the curve is parabola, eclipse or hyperbola. Geometry is my favorite
branch of mathematics because I like shapes. I enjoyed memorizing the theorems
in the proving part of geometry during my high years but I doubt now I’m in
college its gonna be different and difficult.
Pierre Fermat is one of
the person contribute propreties of the prime numbers. His theorems were the
basis of the codes protecting the ATM. Hislove for mathematics gave us a view
that math can be playful and can be found everywhere.
Isaac Newton, the man
responsible for the discovery of gravity, is one of the people contributed for
the development of the modern mathematics. Like the people interviewed in
London, aside from his contribution to gravity and physics I really don’t know
his contribution to mathematics. The documentary featured that he is the one
contributed the calculus. Calculus is always my least favorite branch of math.
During my high school days, I barely passed my exams in calculus but without it
physics will be nothing.
The interesting part
about this episode is how Leibniz also discovered the concepts of calculus the
same time with Newton and made a conflict about who will have the credits. It
is just sad that Leibniz was accused of plagiarism despite his ideas where
original and more understandable than Newton. Leibniz is the first person to
invent practical calculating machine using the binary system.
I was surprised that
the person responsible for the Bernoulli’s equation is part of a family of
mathematicians. Nowadays, a family inclined with mathematics is very rare but I
was amazed how the Bernoulli family contributed for the concepts making our
life easier despite how I struggle in understanding Bernoulli’s equation during
high school.
The last person featured
was Carl Gauss. He contributed on how prime numbers are distributed. Despite
his great contribution to mathematics, he is one of my least favorite because of
his unpleasant attitude.
In the end of the
documentary, it amazed me how these people make concepts out of space and their
sceptical observation in the surrounding. Without these people and their ideas,
many things that we enjoy will not be seen and possible in the modern world.
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