The Overlooked Mathematicians of History
More or Less: Behind the Stats
Conventional histories of mathematics are dominated by well-known names like Pythagoras, Leibniz or Newton. But to concentrate solely on figures from Europe gives us only a patchwork understanding of the rich and varied history of mathematical achievement around the world. Tim Harford speaks to Dr Kate Kitagawa, co-author of βThe Secret Lives of Numbersβ to explore the long history of mathematical advances and innovation across civilisations and centuries, from the female mathematician at court in imperial China to the pioneers in the mathematical powerhouses of the Middle East in the first millennium AD.
Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Jon Bithrey Editor: Richard Vadon Sound Engineer: James Beard
(Picture: Statue of Al Khwarizmi, a ninth century mathematician Credit: Mel Longhurst/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Next Episodes
What do windscreen splats tell us about insect decline? @ More or Less: Behind the Stats
π 2023-10-21 07:00 / β 00:08:58
Greedy jobs and the gender pay gap @ More or Less: Behind the Stats
π 2023-10-14 07:00 / β 00:12:52
Are half the words in English from French? @ More or Less: Behind the Stats
π 2023-10-07 07:00 / β 00:09:45
Vaccine claims, Alzheimer's treatment and Tim's Parkrun times @ More or Less: Behind the Stats
π 2023-10-04 10:30 / β 00:28:25
Is the UK really ahead in cutting carbon emissions? @ More or Less: Behind the Stats
π 2023-09-30 07:00 / β 00:08:58