Math and the Rise of Civilization

10AP2011•50m

Documentary

A guided tour of the history of numbers and how they’ve shaped the development of humankind is at the heart of this unique series. In five episodes that take us across time and around the world, we see how mathematics played an important role in ancient Egypt and Greece, early India, medieval Europe, and our own modern world. Computer graphics make mathematical formulae accessible and interesting, while dramatic reenactments of history pique the viewer’s interest.

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Language

Status

Ended

First Aired

December 19, 2011

Last Aired

December 27, 2011

Networks

EBS 1

Where to Watch

Region US · Lang EN

No providers available for this region.

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Seasons & Episodes

Select a season to view episodes. Reddit links may contain spoilers.

Season

The Beginning of Numbers

Air date: 2011-12-19

The narrator takes the spectator on a journey from the pyramids to the bed of the Nile, demonstrating the need to maintain social and geographical stability after the Nile's annual floods. The Inundation is a driving force for the development of numbers and early geometry.

The Elements

Air date: 2011-12-20

In this episode we move to the Greek civilization, where meticulous thinkers used logic and reason to build the foundations of mathematics laid down by the Egyptians. Along with Pythagoras, to whom we owe the famous theorem, these philosophers have shown, through mathematics, the principles of geometry we know today.

The Divinity of Numbers

Air date: 2011-12-21

Our journey takes us to the east, the Indian subcontinent, where we find the zero. Representing both 'nothing' and the infinite possibility, this unique digit, when used as a marker, it is a cornerstone of modern mathematics. Along with negative numbers, this innovation has opened, both east and west, never imagined numbers.

The World in Motion

Air date: 2011-12-26

This episode moves to the Renaissance period when European scientists were eager to use the formulas and philosophies learned from the Greeks to discover the mathematical secrets of the world and the universe. We witness the emergence of differential and integral calculus in a competitive environment so strong that competing theories divided the Western world.

Conquering Math’s New Frontiers

Air date: 2011-12-27

In this last episode, we are transported to the modern era, where we can witness that the spirit of mathematics innovation is alive and kicking. We focus us on the great current minds, who have sought to resolve some of the great mathematical issues still unresolved in the past, including Fermat's last theorem and the Poincaré conjecture. It serves to remind us that mathematics is still with territories left to unravel.