Birth of a Theorem: A Mathematical Adventure by Cedric Villani
Step by step story of the development of a theorem in mathematical physics which won the highest award in mathematics, the Fields Medal, for the author six years ago in 2010.
A picture in the process of the world-wide mathematical community, its work and ways, as well as of the author and his career, and his professional associates and mentors.
Finally, least clear, the world of mathematics itself, the complex structure of mathematical objects, and the demanding criteria for their acceptance as valid.
As a window into a world distant from mine, the book was fascinating. All the professional competitiveness and institutional territoriality unmentioned, at least undwelt-upon, the image of a global network of thinkers busily thinking strikes wonder and longing in me. A global conversation of exploration already and incessantly in progress: wow!
From the perspective of triumph the author presents the process by which a mathematical analysis of a phenomena in plasma physics running to nearly 200 pages of equations is constructed, beginning with “Yan is fascinated by this problem--and he’s not alone. Could Clement and I tackle it? Sure, we could try...Neither Clement nor I have ever worked on this equation. But equations belong to everybody. We’re going to roll up our sleeves and give it our best shot.”
The familiarization with background, the framing of the problem, the conception of the shape of an acceptable outcome, the plan of attack, the crafting of adequate elements and the careful fitting of them together into a flow of mathematical interaction, the warnings of areas that will need work as well as the recognition of what fails to work and has to be remedied pronto, the work-arounds, the fatigue, the darkness, the flashes of insight, the elation, the lure of light at the end of the tunnel, the shaping into final form, the painstaking proofreading again and again, the corrections and improvements: I know something about these steps of discovery.
As different projects have successively obsessed me over the years, I’ve been through similar cycles more than once. The process of making a new thing, a kind of progressive discovery of what has to work and what in fact does, is exhilarating and exhausting, a very special form of living that I never want to do without. I’ve been blessed by more these kinds of experiences than most, I think, and for this I am grateful to the cast of the world that makes discoveries available and to the itch that drives us to take advantage of the fact. How I wish this experience for all.
It’s not an easy thing to give an account to the general public of the genesis of such an object as a mathematical theorem. I had to skip much of the mathematical notation. But that you, Cedric Villani, are an interesting person, lover, for instance, of manga and Catherine Ribeiro, in an interesting profession comes across, as does the adventure of your story.
You in yours, I in my ventures, let us enjoy the seeking and the finding.
Step by step story of the development of a theorem in mathematical physics which won the highest award in mathematics, the Fields Medal, for the author six years ago in 2010.
A picture in the process of the world-wide mathematical community, its work and ways, as well as of the author and his career, and his professional associates and mentors.
Finally, least clear, the world of mathematics itself, the complex structure of mathematical objects, and the demanding criteria for their acceptance as valid.
As a window into a world distant from mine, the book was fascinating. All the professional competitiveness and institutional territoriality unmentioned, at least undwelt-upon, the image of a global network of thinkers busily thinking strikes wonder and longing in me. A global conversation of exploration already and incessantly in progress: wow!
From the perspective of triumph the author presents the process by which a mathematical analysis of a phenomena in plasma physics running to nearly 200 pages of equations is constructed, beginning with “Yan is fascinated by this problem--and he’s not alone. Could Clement and I tackle it? Sure, we could try...Neither Clement nor I have ever worked on this equation. But equations belong to everybody. We’re going to roll up our sleeves and give it our best shot.”
The familiarization with background, the framing of the problem, the conception of the shape of an acceptable outcome, the plan of attack, the crafting of adequate elements and the careful fitting of them together into a flow of mathematical interaction, the warnings of areas that will need work as well as the recognition of what fails to work and has to be remedied pronto, the work-arounds, the fatigue, the darkness, the flashes of insight, the elation, the lure of light at the end of the tunnel, the shaping into final form, the painstaking proofreading again and again, the corrections and improvements: I know something about these steps of discovery.
As different projects have successively obsessed me over the years, I’ve been through similar cycles more than once. The process of making a new thing, a kind of progressive discovery of what has to work and what in fact does, is exhilarating and exhausting, a very special form of living that I never want to do without. I’ve been blessed by more these kinds of experiences than most, I think, and for this I am grateful to the cast of the world that makes discoveries available and to the itch that drives us to take advantage of the fact. How I wish this experience for all.
It’s not an easy thing to give an account to the general public of the genesis of such an object as a mathematical theorem. I had to skip much of the mathematical notation. But that you, Cedric Villani, are an interesting person, lover, for instance, of manga and Catherine Ribeiro, in an interesting profession comes across, as does the adventure of your story.
You in yours, I in my ventures, let us enjoy the seeking and the finding.
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