Colva Roney-Dougal, a Professor of Pure Mathematics at the University of St Andrews, sheds light on Paul Erdős's early life and the socio-political contexts that shaped his work. Timothy Gowers, a noted mathematician at the Collège de France, discusses Erdős's groundbreaking contributions, especially in number theory and Ramsey theory. Andrew Treglown, an Associate Professor at the University of Birmingham, elaborates on Erdős's unique problem-solving techniques in graph theory and the significance of the Erdős number, reflecting his collaborative spirit in mathematics.

In a programme first broadcast in 2017, Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss Gauss (1777-1855), widely viewed as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. He was a child prodigy, correcting his father's accounts before he was 3, dumbfounding his teachers with the speed of his mental arithmetic, and gaining a wealthy patron who supported his education. He wrote on number theory when he was 21, with his Disquisitiones Arithmeticae, which has influenced developments since. Among his achievements, he was the first to work out how to make a 17-sided polygon, he predicted the orbit of the minor planet Ceres, rediscovering it, he found a way of sending signals along a wire, using electromagnetism, the first electromagnetic telegraph, and he advanced the understanding of parallel lines on curved surfaces. With Marcus du Sautoy Professor of Mathematics and Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of OxfordColva Roney-Dougal Reader in Pure Mathematics at the University of St AndrewsAnd Nick Evans Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of SouthamptonProducer: Simon Tillotson.

Join Marcus du Sautoy, Timothy Gowers, and Colva Roney-Dougal as they delve into the genius of Pierre-Simon Laplace, who revolutionized mathematics and science during and after the French Revolution. They explore his groundbreaking contributions to probability, the stability of the solar system, and his provocative idea of determinism, suggesting that complete knowledge of the universe could predict all future events. The discussion also covers Laplace's role in developing the metric system and the philosophical implications of his work, including his stance on free will.