Authors

Authors

Author: ACMEScience November 1, 2019 Duration: 26:54

On this episode of Relatively Prime we explore the thoughts of authors of general audience mathematics books. Specifically they share why they started writing, how they choose their topics, and how they think about their audiences. It features clips from interviews Samuel Hansen conducted with Colin Adams, Ivars Peterson, John Allen Paulos, Jordan Ellenberg, Dave Richeson, Matt Parker, Steve Strogatz, and Alex Bellos.

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Zombie Horde Sound Effect:
Mike Koenig


Behind every equation, theorem, and abstract concept, there are human stories waiting to be told. Relatively Prime: Stories from the Mathematical Domain uncovers these narratives, moving far beyond textbook explanations to explore the passion, curiosity, and occasional frustration that drive mathematical discovery. Produced by ACMEScience, this podcast delves into the rich, often overlooked history and culture surrounding numbers and ideas. Each episode feels like a conversation, where you might hear about the quirky personalities behind pivotal proofs or the unexpected ways mathematical thinking shapes our everyday world. The focus is on connection-how mathematics intertwines with art, politics, philosophy, and personal endeavor. Tuning in, you'll find a thoughtful and accessible series that treats its subject with warmth and depth, making the domain of maths feel both relatable and astonishing. It’s for anyone who has ever wondered about the stories buried within the formulas, offering a genuinely human perspective on a profoundly human intellectual pursuit. This isn't about solving for x; it's about understanding the why.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 63

Relatively Prime: Stories from the Mathematical Domain
Podcast Episodes
Diegetic Plots: Chapter 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:52
Download the Episode Subscribe: iTunes or RSS Diegetic Plots: Chapter One This episode of Relatively Prime is going to be delving into the humanistic side of mathematics. It is the first chapter in a recurring series Sam…
Mathematistan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:50
Download the Episode Subscribe: iTunes or RSS Mathematistan Mathematics may be the most pure, the most abstract, the most ivory tower of all academic disciplines, but nothing, nothing is beyond the reach of politics. Thi…
Your Daily Recommended Math [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:27
Download the Episode Subscribe: iTunes or RSS Your Daily Recommended Math We all use mathematics everyday. At least that is what we all like to tell our friends who ask us, “What good is math anyway?” The problem is so m…
The Lexicon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:52
The Lexicon Download the Episode Subscribe: iTunes or RSS The Three R’s, Reading Writing and ’Rithmetic, have formed the basis of formal education for centuries, at least since they were mentioned by Sir William Curtis i…
1+1=2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:25
It hardly seems that a week can go by without seeing another newspaper story or television report about the decline of the American Educational Establishment. Particularly in respect to mathematics. As a product of said…
0,1,2,3… [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:24
This episode is all about the forgotten mathematical tool of numbers. Ok, forgotten may be a bit strong, but after a certain point in mathematics numbers seem to lose a bit of their importance. For the first few years af…
Erdos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:25
Paul Erdos was one of the greatest mathematicians of the 20th Century, the one that other mathematicians measure their distance from, and beyond that one of the most interesting. His highly collaborative, highly nomadic…
The Score [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:06
There are many similarities between mathematics and music. They are their own vocabulary, their own written language, their own way of describing the world around us, but while they are similar the Venn diagram that cont…
The Shape of Things [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:45
Mathematics is rather unfairly thought of as a numbers game, but there really is much more too it and after scouring the world Samuel Hansen found a man proud to stand on his geometric soapbox, another with some importan…
The Unexpected [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:24
Sometimes an approach you are sure will work yields results. Maybe the Cambridge sandwich year and a unicycle society will lead to traveling around the world talking about the mathematics behind throwing things in the ai…