To the Infinity of the Infinity

The fourth episode of The Story of Maths presented the mathematics in the 20^th century. Marcus du Sautoy is trying to find out the answers to the 23 most important mathematical problems that David Hilbert started during the 1900S. He also points out other great mathematicians who tried hard to seek answers to Hilbert’s math problems.

The movie gets more interesting as I learn the history about mathematics and facts from great mathematicians from the 19^th century. But in my opinion, the most interesting part that I have learned from the documentary was Georg Cantor’s discovery of infinity.

Marcus du Sautoy first went to Paris, France in the place where the first ever ICM or the International Congress of mathematicians was held. There, David Hilbert lectured about his 23 most important mathematic problems on its second meeting.

Marcus du Sautoy then travels to Hannah (in the east end of Germany) and he finds out about Georg Cantor. Cantor was the first ever to understand Infinity whom at that time was very tricky. Cantor had problems with the Continuum hypothesis which resulted for him to have a manic disorder or a bipolar disease.

Sautoy then finds out about Kurt Godel, an Austrian mathematician who lived in Vienna in the 1920s to the 1930s. Kurt Godel is also a part of the Vienna Circle which group of highly influential philosophers and scientists.

Sautoy then discovers American mathematicians including Paul Cohen who as a child, has won various mathematical competitions and prizes. Cohen stated that there is a universal solution for the answers to the same questions.

Julia Robins was known for solving Hilbert’s 10^th mathematical problem and for developing the Robinson hypothesis. Julia Roberts was elected as president in the American Mathematical Society.

These are just some of the great mathematicians who took part in David Hilbert’s mathematical problems. There are still some of the 23 problems that are yet to be solved but with the new breed of mathematicians arising from today and the incoming generations, one day it will.

I find the whole documentary exciting because it gives me knowledge about its history and the great importance behind it. It increases my determination to learn Mathematics better. I learned a lot from this program, and one of them is that everything has solutions if you only strive hard to find the answer.