The Numberphile Podcast

Po-Ling Loh is an American theoretical statistician based at the University of Cambridge. She discusses her childhood, choosing a university, and her path to higher dimensional statistics and differential privacy.

She also compares life as an academic in the US and UK.

This episode was made possible by the Leverhulme Trust, a UK-based organisation which funds ambitious blue skies research across various disciplines - https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/

Professor Loh was the recipient of a Philip Leverhulme Prize. More about her prize here - https://www.leverhulme.ac.uk/news/philip-leverhulme-prize-winners-2023

Professor Loh’s website - https://www.dpmms.cam.ac.uk/~pll28/

There’s a new largest known prime number and we speak to all the key players, including the discoverer Luke Durant. Also featured in the podcast are George Woltman from GIMPS, James Grime, and Matt Parker.

Extended interviews (as videos) can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt5AfwLFPxWIWS5Jd3k5QHdc0kxwfnZMg

Matt Parker’s epic video on Stand-up Maths is here: https://youtu.be/zsyGRDrDfbI

Numberphile’s main video on the discovery is here: https://youtu.be/Yp4ilFOtoeg

The GIMPS press release is here: https://www.mersenne.org/primes/?press=M136279841

GIMPS: https://www.mersenne.org

More Numberphile videos on Mersenne Primes from over the year: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt5AfwLFPxWKsTwVXpLscZdfiiqAkkGCA

Numberphile is supported by Jane Street - https://www.numberphile.com/jane-street

You can support Numberphile on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/numberphile

Here are our Patrons - https://www.numberphile.com/patrons

Ellen Eischen is a professor of mathematics at the University of Oregon. Here she discusses creativity, collaboration - and a “secret” journal she has kept since childhood.

Ellen Eischen website (includes some links to the teaching we discussed): http://www.elleneischen.com


Women in Numbers: https://awm-math.org/research-networks/win/

Creativity Counts museum exhibit: https://jsma.uoregon.edu/CreativityCounts

Ellen on Numberphile discussing Faulhaber's Fabulous Formula (and Bernoulli Numbers): https://youtu.be/83NFR7JDlww


Numberphile is supported by Jane Street - https://www.numberphile.com/jane-street

We also work with the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute - https://www.slmath.org

You can support Numberphile on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/numberphile

Here are our Patrons - https://www.numberphile.com/patrons

Catch a video version of this episode at: https://youtu.be/xMAiBBxQGZI

Danica McKellar is best-known for portraying girl-next-door Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years - but she has also proven a math theorem (which bears her name) and writes books to inspire future mathematicians.

Check out her math website and books at: https://mckellarmath.com

And Danica’s general website at: https://danicamckellar.com

Danica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danicamckellar/

Danica’s books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3VQdzny

Danica’s co-authored paper which led to the Chayes–McKellar–Winn theorem: https://scienceblogs.de/geograffitico/wp-content/blogs.dir/70/files/2012/07/i-5bb4f4203312f2a650f3294cf4ddac13-percolation.pdf

Brady’s dog Winnie: https://www.instagram.com/the_wonderful_winnie/

The Wonder Years: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wonder_Years

Jane Street opportunities (episode sponsor): https://www.janestreet.com/join-jane-street/overview/

Jane Street’s Insight program as mentioned on the show: https://www.janestreet.com/join-jane-street/programs-and-events/insight/

Numberphile is also supported by the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute: https://www.slmath.org

You can support Numberphile on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/numberphile

Here are our Patrons: https://www.numberphile.com/patrons

This podcast marks the passing of James Harris Simons, better-known as Jim.

The interviewees are John Ewing, David Eisenbud and Andrew Millis.

The Simons Foundation - https://www.simonsfoundation.org

Simons Foundation article about Jim’s life - https://www.simonsfoundation.org/2024/05/10/remembering-the-life-and-careers-of-jim-simons/

Brady’s interview with Jim for Numberphile (full hour-log version) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNznD9hMEh0

Shorter 18-minute version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjVDqfUhXOY

Math For America - https://www.mathforamerica.org

The Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath, formerly MSRI) - https://www.slmath.org

The Flatiron Institute - https://www.simonsfoundation.org/flatiron/

The Chern-Simons form - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chern%E2%80%93Simons_form

The Archimedes (Jim’s yacht) - https://www.feadship.nl/fleet/archimedes1

Numberphile has been supported by The Simons Foundation (via SLMath) for many years. We are yet another of Jim’s legacies.

You can support Numberphile on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/numberphile

Here are our Patrons - https://www.numberphile.com/patrons

Numberphile Podcast by Brady Haran

Donald Knuth is unquestionably a legend of computer science and mathematics - but he is bad at estimation and grew up with a “rhinoceros attitude”.

Don Knuth’s homepage - https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/

The Art of Computer Programming (books) - https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/taocp.html

On Amazon - https://amzn.to/4aUkkeT

3:16 (book) - https://amzn.to/4aRs9lH

Knuth’s questions for Chat GPT - https://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~knuth/chatGPT20.txt

Knuth videos on Numberphile - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt5AfwLFPxWLfLjzHzmFO6T8jCZdipvQc

Brady’s video on John 3:16 from his Bibledex series - https://youtu.be/ZJjFebPW5b8

Ziegler’s Giant Bar - https://www.halfnuts.net/products/an-original-ziegler-giant-bar?variant=55664909259

Numberphile is supported by Jane Street - https://www.numberphile.com/jane-street

We also work with the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute - https://www.slmath.org

You can support Numberphile on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/numberphile

Here are our Patrons - https://www.numberphile.com/patrons

Data journalist Walt Hickey looks deep into the numbers behind movies, TV shows, and all types of popular culture.

Walt’s new book is You Are What You Watch - https://amzn.to/3F8SwVo

Walt’s Website - https://walthickey.com

Numlock News - https://www.numlock.com

Dr Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park - https://jurassicpark.fandom.com/wiki/Ian_Malcolm

Does Hollywood ruin books? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUD8h9JpEVQ

Math and Movies (Animation at Pixar) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX0NB9IyYpU

The problem in Good Will Hunting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW_LkYiuTKE

Numberphile is supported by Jane Street - https://www.numberphile.com/jane-street

We also work with the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute - https://www.slmath.org

You can support Numberphile on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/numberphile

Here are our Patrons - https://www.numberphile.com/patrons

Federico Ardila is a combinatorialist at San Francisco State University.

He’s Colombian and in this episode he talks candidly about the struggles and prejudice encountered by people from different backgrounds as they try to make their mark in academia.

And just so you know there’s happy ending in sight - this episode of the podcast will conclude with a stirring musical finale.

Federico’s site - https://fardila.com

SFSU page - https://math.sfsu.edu/faculty/ardila

SLMath supports Numberphile - https://www.slmath.org

You can support Numberphile on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/numberphile

Here are our Patrons - https://www.numberphile.com/patrons

Oxford mathematician James Maynard explains why he feared accidentally refusing the most famous prize in mathematics.

Watch this full interview on YouTube - https://youtu.be/yz-5BY_TTNI

Full 2022 Fields Medal Winners - https://www.mathunion.org/imu-awards/fields-medal/fields-medals-2022

See our Fields Medal Playlist - https://bit.ly/Fields_Playlist

More James Maynard videos - https://bit.ly/JamesMaynard

James Maynard - https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/discover/people/professor-james-maynard/

You can support Numberphile on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/numberphile

Here are our Patrons - https://www.numberphile.com/patrons

He dreamed of being a great cricketer - but his love for equations led Ed Copeland to a career in theoretical physics.

Check out opportunities with episode sponsor Jane Street

Ed Copeland at the University of Nottingham

Numberphile videos with Ed

Some physics videos with Ed

A trilogy of longer videos with Ed

You can support Numberphile on Patreon

With thanks to SLMath

Astronomer Mike Merrifield had terrible handwriting and dreamed of captaining a submarine - now he's an astronomer and world expert on galaxies.

Episode sponsored by Jane Street - check out their latest opportunities

Professor Michael Merrifield

Mike's Twitter

Mike Merrifield Video Playlist

Sixty Symbols - Physics videos, many featuring Mike

Deep Sky Videos

Messier Objects Playlist

Ralph Merrifield

Ralph Merrifield author page on Amazon

Galactic Astronomy by James Binney and Michael Merrifield

Hand-written version of Mike's 'Good Will Hunting' paper

And here is the published version

You can support Numberphile on Patreon like these people

With thanks to SLMath

From a challenging situation in Bogota to a prestigious job in US academia, Tatiana Toro wants to help others find their mathematical pathway.

Professor Toro is the new director of the Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SL Math).

SL Math website

Announcement of Professor Toro's appointment

MSRI is renamed SL Math

Professor Toro's University of Washington webpage

Podcast with David Eisenbud - Professor Toro's predecessor

Tadashi Tokieda is a Professor of Mathematics at Stanford University - and a popular contributor to videos on our Numberphile video channel. But his path to mathematics was unusual.

Tadashi at Stanford

Tadashi videos on Numberphile

Lev Davidovich Landau

You can support Numberphile on Patreon like these people

With thanks to MSRI

Professor Hannah Fry discusses her cervical cancer diagnosis - and subsequent attempt to make sense of it all.

Making Sense of Cancer - Showing on BBC2 on June 2 and then on BBC iPlayer

Telegraph Article

Hannah Fry website

Hannah Fry books - Amazon

Numberphile videos with Hannah

Hannah previously on the podcast

Macmillan Cancer Support

NHS Cancer help

You can support Numberphile on Patreon like these people

With thanks to MSRI

Tony Padilla is known on Numberphile for tackling the big numbers... But by day he's a cosmologist and life-long fan of Liverpool FC. Brady joined him at Anfield for a game against Watford.

Tony at the University of Nottingham

Order Tony's book Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them: A Cosmic Quest from Zero to Infinity --- Amazon US - Amazon UK - MacMillan US - Penguin UK

Some videos with Tony on Numberphile

And some videos with Tony on Sixty Symbols

The Sum of the Integers being -1/12

Liverpool v Watford on 2 April 2022

You can 'watch' the podcasts, including this one, on YouTube

This episode was supported by G-Research, a world-leading quantitative finance research firm, hiring the brightest minds to tackle the biggest questions in finance - learn more at gresearch.co.uk/numberphile/

You can support Numberphile on Patreon like these people

With thanks to MSRI

The Numberphile Podcast by Brady Haran

Data visualisation guru Martin Krzywinski has teamed up with composer Gregory Coles to make music based on Pi - the early digits AND the last known digits.

Three One Four: A Number of Notes

The project is a collaboration between Martin, Gregory Coles, and Emma Beauxis-Aussalet

On Bandcamp

YouTube track playlist

YouTube album discussions and score analysis

Martin Krzywinski

62.8 trillion digit computation of Pi

Some of Martin's previous Pi visualisations can be found here

This episode was supported by G-Research, a world-leading quantitative finance research firm, hiring the brightest minds to tackle the biggest questions in finance - learn more at gresearch.co.uk/numberphile/

You can support Numberphile on Patreon like these people

With thanks to MSRI

Christopher Havens is serving a 25-year prison sentence for murder - but behind bars he's seeking redemption through advanced mathematics.

He has published an academic paper... and is bringing math to other inmates via The Prison Mathematics Project.

Catch this episode on YouTube

The Prison Mathematics Project

The Paper: Linear fractional transformations and non-linear leaping convergents of some continued fractions

Article by Marta Cerruti on The Conversation

You can support Numberphile on Patreon like these people

With thanks to MSRI

Mathematician Zvezdelina Stankova was born in Bulgaria and is now a teaching professor at UC Berkeley.

Zvezda's webpage

Zvezda videos on Numberphile

The Legend of Question Six

Berkeley Math Circle

This episode was supported by G-Research, a world-leading quantitative finance research firm, hiring the brightest minds to tackle the biggest questions in finance - learn more at gresearch.co.uk/numberphile/

You can support Numberphile on Patreon like these people

With thanks to MSRI

A breakthrough paper is published about using artificial intelligence to do mathematics - we discuss it with DeepMind's Alex Davies and Professor Marcus du Sautoy.

DeepMind

DeepMind blog on this topic

Nature article on the topic

Article from The Conversation by Geordie Williamson, who worked on the project

Marcus du Sautoy

The Creativity Code - book on Amazon

Collaborator Geordie Williamson

Collaborator Marc Lackenby

Collaborator Andras Juhasz

This episode was supported by G-Research, a world-leading quantitative finance research firm, hiring the brightest minds to tackle the biggest questions in finance - learn more at gresearch.co.uk/numberphile/

You can support Numberphile on Patreon like these people

With thanks to MSRI

From high school drop-out to set theorist, Asaf Karagila shares his journey towards infinity.

Asaf is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the University of East Anglia.

Asaf's blog

Asaf's Twitter

Some Infinity stuff on Numberphile

You can support Numberphile on Patreon like these people

With thanks to MSRI

This episode was also made possible by the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship

UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship MR/T021705/1

Podcast Transcripts