Having
watched all the episodes of the Story of Maths, I was able to see the evolution
of math from just a tool used to quantify harvest and parcels of land into its
application and relation with shapes then into the development of calculus and lastly into the discovery of complex
theory that seemed impossible to be understood and solved.
The
final episode of this installment focuses on the development of the modern mathematics
brought about by a German mathematician named David Hilbert. Hilbert unearthed
to the world a set of 23 seemingly unsolvable and significant problems in
mathematics that still needs to find their solutions. By doing this Hilbert was
actually initializing the birth of a whole new mathematics that the world has
never seen. As mathematicians, many tried their best to give an explanation and
try to provide solution to these 23 problems until almost all of these problems
were answered over time. Mathematicians earned their fame from solving these problems
like Cantor who first understood the concept of infinity which helped him develop
his continuum hypothesis. Cantor was also able to influence other mathematician
to develop theories, useful theories in fact, such as that of Poincare’s Chaos
theory and the Poincare’s conjecture.
During
those times Hilbert was able to challenge the world because the problems he presented
cannot be solved using the simple operations we’ve had back then. Instead to
solve these problems one needs to grasp the abstract ideas and concepts
underlying behind such problems as he believed that everything needed to solve
these problems is already possessed by mathematics. But then everything changed
when a man in the name of Kurt Godell gave a new perspective in Hilbert’s idea
by saying that some of these statements cannot be proved creating a sense of
uncertainty in the field of mathematics. Godell later formulated the
Incompleteness Theory as an alternative means of providing a solution to a
problem by stating that there are statements about mathematics that is true but
proving it would be difficult or it cannot be proved but still it remains true.
One
part that I really appreciate in this episode is the part where Julia Robinson,
the one who formulated the Robinson’s Hypothesis, tried to answer one of the
problems presented by Hilbert but was unable to completely do so until Yuri
Matiiyasevich completed her work. This is because it shows how persons of different
race and origin would try to synchronize with people who they do not know for
the sake and for their love of mathematics.
As the episode goes by many few names were mentioned who was able to
contribute in the field of geometry, like Galois, topology, number theory etc.
After
watching the series I was able to relate how the development of mathematics
reflects the development of the human society. By continuously improving
mathematics we are finding solutions that we can use for a better tomorrow. I can’t
help but think about the mathematics of tomorrow, what would it be? Is there
something else that we do not know about? Is this all math has to offer? I
honestly believe that there is still something out there a new perspective in
mathematics that will define the future generation. I don’t know why I have this
exciting feeling about the idea that there’s more to math than this and how I
wish to be a part of it. This is what makes math alive the curiosity of mankind
throughout history. Right now we might not be able to know what math will
become in the future but I knew it would be something beyond what we are learning
today.
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