of what it feels like to be Cédric Villani.” ―Evelyn Lamb, Scientific American Blog Network

“ Birth of a Theorem succeeds in giving us a glimpse. Villani’s path to success was not always easy, and he writes vividly of his setbacks and obstacles, detailing the inner monologue of self-doubt that we all experience, regardless of our ability.” ― Hannah Fry, The Guardian And in that respect it has everything: partnership, courage, doubt and anxiety, elation and despair. Ultimately, this is a story about the limits of what can be achieved.

“ is widely regarded as one of the most talented mathematicians of his generation. “A fine book from a brilliant man.” ―Ron Liddle, Sunday Times “ Birth of a Theorem is a remarkable book and I urge everyone to buy it.” ―Alexander Masters, The Spectator “ is less about math than about mathematicians―how they live, how they work, and how they talk to one another.” ― Thomas Lin, The New Yorker Birth of a Theorem inspires and entertains!” ―Patti Smith “Combining poetry, music, and formidable sleuthing, the charismatic Cédric Villani skilfully unfolds the complex yet wondrous world of mathematics. “Villani has written probably the most unlikely unputdownable thriller of the decade.” ―Richard Morrison, The Times “Riveting! A gem.” ―Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of The Black Swan Winner of the French-American Foundation Translation Prize in Nonfiction 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title. In mathematics, as in any creative work, it is the thinker's whole life that propels discovery―and with Birth of a Theorem, Cédric Villani welcomes you into his. Villani shares his favorite songs, his love of manga, and the imaginative stories he tells his children. You're privy to the dining-hall conversations at the world's greatest research institutions. You join him in unproductive lulls and late-night breakthroughs. Villani's diaries, emails, and musings enmesh you in the process of discovery. It doesn't simplify or overexplain rather, it invites readers into collaboration. It invites readers inside the mind of a great mathematician as he wrestles with the most important work of his career.īut you don't have to understand nonlinear Landau damping to love Birth of a Theorem. Birth of a Theorem is Villani's own account of the years leading up to the award.

In 2010, French mathematician Cédric Villani received the Fields Medal, the most coveted prize in mathematics, in recognition of a proof which he devised with his close collaborator Clément Mouhot to explain one of the most surprising theories in classical physics.

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