This twisting mathematical path is there for you to experience, not just to spectate.

The Birth of a Theorem is written as a diary, taking us through the early evolution of the idea in Lyon in 2008, through six months of frustration trying to wrestle the beast of a theorem to the ground at Princeton (his words, not mine) and culminating in the news that he has won the most coveted prize.

Villani’s medal was awarded in 2010 for his work in mathematical physics describing the behaviour of particles in gases and plasmas. For those who aren’t familiar, the Fields medal is often referred to as the Nobel prize of mathematics but, as it is only awarded once every four years, and even then only to mathematicians under 40, it is much, much harder to win. His work has won him almost every prize going: the Fermat prize (a big deal) the Poincaré prize (a very big deal) and even the Fields medal (off-the-chart big deal). He is widely regarded as one of the most talented mathematicians of his generation. To put it in his words: “Appreciating a theorem in mathematics is like watching an episode of Columbo: the line of reasoning by which the detective solves the mystery is more important than the identity of the murderer.” Villani should know. These wise words from my secondary school maths teacher have stuck with me ever since. Maths has never seemed so magical or so exciting.T o really appreciate mathematics, you have to see it evolve, to work through the twists and turns yourself it’s almost never enough for someone to just tell you about it. Birth of a Theorem combines passion and imagination to take us on a fantastical adventure through the beautiful, mysterious world of mathematics. Blending science with history, biography with myth, Villani conjures up an inimitable cast of characters including the omnipresent Einstein, mad genius Kurt Godel, and Villani's personal hero, John Nash. We discover how it feels to be obsessed by a theorem during your child's cello practise and throughout your dreams, why appreciating maths is a bit like watching an episode of Columbo, and how sometimes inspiration only comes from locking yourself away in a dark room to think. His story is one of courage and partnership, doubt and anxiety, elation and despair. Along the way he encounters obstacles and setbacks, losses of faith and even brushes with madness. What goes on inside the mind of a rock-star mathematician? Where does inspiration come from? With a storyteller's gift, Cedric Villani takes us on a mesmerising journey as he wrestles with a new theorem that will win him the most coveted prize in mathematics. 'This man could plainly do for mathematics what Brian Cox has done for physics.' (Sunday Times).

Birth of a theorem cédric villani