A Brief History of Mathematics - Nicolas Bourbaki

This ten part history of mathematics from Newton to the present day, reveals the personalities behind the calculations: the passions and rivalries of mathematicians struggling to get their ideas heard. Professor Marcus du Sautoy shows how these masters of abstraction find a role in the real world and proves that mathematics is the driving force behind modern science.

Today, the mathematician that never was, Nicolas Bourbaki. A group of French mathematicians, working between the two world wars and writing under the pseudonym Nicolas Bourbaki transformed their discipline and paved the way for several mathematical breakthroughs in the 21st century.

Producer: Anna Buckley

From 2010.

Published on Friday, 1st October 2010.

Available Podcasts from A Brief History of Mathematics

Subscribe to A Brief History of Mathematics

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the A Brief History of Mathematics webpage.