Cracking tales of historical mathematics and its interplay with science, philosophy, and culture. Revisionist history galore. Contrarian takes on received wisdom. Implications for teaching. Informed by current scholarship. By Dr Viktor Blåsjö.
This series on mathematics dives into its profound history, practical applications, and philosophical beauty. It begins by tracing math's ancient origins and early contributions from civilizations like the Babylonians and Greeks, then explores the natural patterns and geometry shaping the world around us. The series advances into the modern era, spotlighting revolutionary breakthroughs in calculus and probability, before showcasing how math touches our daily lives—from technology to decision-making. Finally, it delves into abstract concepts, unsolved mysteries, and the exciting frontiers of mathematics, inspiring viewers to see math as both a vital tool and a source of awe.
We discuss seminal mathematical papers (sometimes really old 😎 ) that have shaped and established the fields of machine learning and data science as we know them today. The goal of the podcast is to introduce you to the evolution of these fields from a mathematical and slightly philosophical perspective.
We will discuss the contribution of these papers, not just from pure a math aspect but also how they influenced the discourse in the field, which areas were opened up as a result, and so on.
Our podcast episodes are also available on our youtube:
https://youtu.be/wThcXx_vXjQ?si=vnMfs
