The Mathematicians Podcast
by Ben Cornish
Latest episode
Episode 60 - Brahmagupta - The Keeper of the Gate
Episode 60 - Brahmagupta - The Keeper of the Gate
About this podcast
Where we explore the historical figures that count. An in-depth look at the history of mathematics, in chronological order, looking at the people, the theories, the ideas - with as fewer gaps as possible. Each episode we focus in on a single character or contribution to the history of maths and explore why it is significant, and how it evolved.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 60 episodes
- Episode 60 - Brahmagupta - The Keeper of the Gate · 58 min · Episode 60Brahmagupta What does it take to call yourself a mathematician? Is it enough to enjoy a Sudoku, or should you be able to solve an equation that would keep most of us busy for a…
- Episode 59 - Varāhamihira (And Bhāskara I) - Back to School · 24 min · Episode 59Was Varāhamihira the world's first statistician? Could a sixth-century mathematician really predict the monsoon using observational data? And how did Bhāskara I produce one of…
- Episode 57 – Aryabhata – From hero to zero · 48 min · Episode 58The Gupta Empire reaches its scientific zenith as we meet one of the greatest mathematicians of Late Antiquity. Aryabhata (476–550 CE) helped transform astronomy and mathematics…
- Episode 57 - Yavanesvara - The Lord of the Greeks · 44 min · Episode 57The Silk Road carried spices, gemstones, ideas... and, occasionally, trigonometry. In this episode of The Mathematicians Podcast, we follow the mysterious figure known as…
- Episode 56 - Pingala - Beats us up · 10 min · Episode 56Episode 42: Pingala – The Poet of Binary Why is a 2nd-century BCE Indian grammarian being featured on a mathematics podcast? Because centuries before the "Founding Fathers" of…
- Episode 55 - Injective - Thomas K Briggs - On The Mathematicians' Library · 1 h 20 min · Episode 55In this special book club episode of 'The Mathematicians Podcast', I sit down with author, maths communicator, and museum learning consultant, Thomas K. Briggs. Join us for a…
- Episode 54 - Umaswati - Mind the Gap · 31 min · Episode 54In this episode of The Mathematicians Podcast, I am jumping ahead 800 years and travelling 5,000 km back to India to pick up the threads of a fascinating mathematical tradition…
- Episode 53 - Nabu-rimanni & Kidinu - Systematically Speaking · 28 min · Episode 53When is an approximation "good enough"? This week on The Mathematicians Podcast, host Benjamin Cornish opens the doors to his gem and fossil shop to discuss why a polished piece…
- Episode 52 - Apastamba - What He Said. · 22 min · Episode 52Episode 52 of The Mathematicians Podcast, takes us deep into the world of ancient Indian mathematics with a focus on Apastamba and his contributions to the Sulvasutras. Following…
- Episode 51 - Baudhayana - Back to 1 square · 26 min · Episode 51In this episode a journey back to 800 BCE to explore the life and work of Baudhayana, one of the earliest known mathematicians from the Indian tradition. This episode also offers…
- Episode 50 - Alcuin of York - A wolf, a Goat and a Cabbage · 31 min · Episode 50How do you get a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage across a river without turning the boat into a buffet? Welcome to the Season 1 Finale of The Mathematicians Podcast! Today, we go to…
- Episode 49 - Bede - Just in Time · 20 min · Episode 49Was Bede a mathematician? Well, he certainly made history count. Join Benjamin Cornish for a trip to Northumbria (which is definitely in England) to meet the "OG monk" who…
- Episode 48 - Eutocius of Ascalon - Show Your Workings · 22 min · Episode 48This week on The Mathematicians Podcast, join Benjamin Cornish as he shines a spotlight on Eutocius of Ascalon, the unsung hero who kept the flames of ancient mathematics…
- Episode 47 - Isidorus of Miletus - Build it, and they will come · 26 min · Episode 47This week, we bridge the gap between Alexandria and Constantinople with Isidorus of Miletus, a mathematician and architect who preferred teaching to writing. We look into how he…
- Episode 46 - Anthemius of Tralles - On Burning Mirrors · 15 min · Episode 46Join us on The Mathematicians Podcast as host Benjamin Cornish uncovers the whimsical and often mischievous side of Anthemius of Tralles, the Byzantine Greek architect and…
- Episode 45 - Simplicius - Keeping it Simplicius · 19 min · Episode 45Welcome back to The Mathematicians Podcast! In this episode, host Benjamin Cornish takes us back to the 6th century CE to explore the life and legacy of Simplicius of Cilicia. A…
- Episode 44 - The Injectives with Hope Duncan - On Infinity · 53 min · Episode 44This week on The Mathematician's Podcast, we take a break from the philosophical and theological debates of the past to chat with an intellectual heavyweight of our own age! In…
- Episode 43 - John Philoponus - To infinity and stopping · 18 min · Episode 43Welcome back to The Mathematicians Podcast! This episode introduces our first "John" – John Philoponus, also known as John the Grammarian or John of Alexandria. This Christian…
- Episode 42 - Boethius - A Fork in the Road · 25 min · Episode 42The Romans are here, in ROME! Discover the dramatic rise and fall of the Roman Empire, its lasting global impact, and the fascinating (and sometimes contentious) question of who…
- Episode 41 - Hypatia - Less than fairer · 18 min · Episode 41This week we explore the brilliant, and tragically short, life of Hypatia of Alexandria. Born around 370 CE, she was a pioneering female mathematician and philosopher who led the…
