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The Mathematicians Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Ben Cornish
Where we explore the historical figures that count. An in-depth look at the history of mathematics, in chronological order, looking at the people, the theories, the ideas - with as fewer gaps as possible. Each episode we focus in on a single character or contribution to the history of maths and explore why it is significant, and how it evolved.
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- 2 weeks ago10 min
Episode 56 - Pingala - Beats us up
Episode 42: Pingala – The Poet of Binary Why is a 2nd-century BCE Indian grammarian being featured on a mathematics podcast? Because centuries before the "Founding Fathers" of Western mathematics were born, Pingala was already encoding the universe. In this special rhythmic episode, I step out of the traditional lecture hall and into the world of spoken word. After a transformative experience at the 'Beat up the Poets' conference, I will explore the Chandaḥśāstra; Pingala’s ancient treatise on prosody. We look into how the study of Sanskrit poetic meters led to the earliest known descriptions of: Binary Number Systems: How stressed and unstressed syllables created a mathematical logic long before Turing. The Concept of Zero (Shunya): The "original gap" in the poetic flow. The Fibonacci Sequence: Why the "Man from Pisa" was actually a few centuries late to the party. Pascal’s Triangle: Uncovering the "Meru Prastāra" hidden in ancient Vedic verses. From "off-by-one" errors to the combinatorics of rhythmic beats, this episode is a lyrical journey into the seismic foundations of ancient Indian mathematics. Note from me:This is my final pre-recorded episode before I head off on paternity leave! Thank you all for your incredible support. I’ll be taking a short writing break to welcome the new addition to the family, but the podcast will return soon. Support the Show & Connect: Bluesky: Follow the conversation @mathematicians-pod Support the Paternity Leave Fund: If you enjoyed this episode, consider buying me a coffee (or a box of nappies!) on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/benjamincornish Keywords: Pingala, History of Maths, Chandaḥśāstra, Sanskrit Prosody, Binary Code, Fibonacci Sequence, Pascal’s Triangle, Combinatorics, Vedic Mathematics, Ancient India, Zero, Shunya, Benjamin Cornish. Hashtags: #maths #historyofmaths #pingala #mathematicians #podcast #binary #poetry #fibonacci #ancientindia #stem #mathematics The music was- "Danse Macabre - Finale" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- Apr 20, 20261h 20m
Episode 55 - Injective - Thomas K Briggs - On The Mathematicians' Library
In this special book club episode of 'The Mathematicians Podcast', I sit down with author, maths communicator, and museum learning consultant, Thomas K. Briggs. Join us for a glass of wine and a deep dive into Tom's book, 'The Mathematicians Library', a title so intriguing it was a must-have for the show. This 'Injectives' sub-series episode is a one-to-one conversation; today exploring the vast history of mathematical literature. Discover the oldest book in Tom's personal collection and unravel the criteria for what truly constitutes a "book of mathematics". Tom paints a vivid picture of ancient mathematical works, describing the evolution of writing media before the age of flat sheets and ink. The discussion navigates through the emergence of authorship in the Mediterranean, Indian, and Chinese traditions, and Tom shares his favourite example of a significant mathematical work without a known author. He also recounts the fascinating journey of a particular mathematical text through the ages, a story of translation and transcription that has preserved ancient knowledge. In a new segment of "Desert Island Codex," Tom reveals which ancient mathematical document he would choose to study in solitude and which ancient lecture he would love to have heard. Moving beyond the book, the episode looks into Tom's work as a museum consultant. He sheds light on the origins of encryption and the methods ancient leaders used to send secret messages. The discussion also explores the vast, untranslated collection of Babylonian tablets and what they might still reveal about Mesopotamian mathematical understanding. Finally, Tom offers his own insightful, pithy definition of what mathematics truly is. He also reveals which mathematician he is most excited to see featured on a future episode of the podcast. Tune in for a captivating conversation that journeys through the annals of mathematical history, from ancient texts to modern museum exhibits. You can find Ben on Bluesky @mathematicians-pod. You can support him at ko-fi.com/benjamincornish. You can find Tom: on his website https://tkbriggs.co.uk/ ; on Bluesky @TeaKayB.mathsy.space ; Join the History and Mathematics in Education Network https://historyand.mathsy.space/ ; The music was- "Danse Macabre - Finale" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Keywords: history of maths, ancient mathematics, mathematical literature, Thomas K. Briggs, The Mathematicians' Library, Euclid, ancient texts, encryption, Bletchley Park, Babylonian tablets, museums, history of science, mathematics podcast. Hashtags: #TheMathematiciansPodcast #HistoryOfMaths #AncientMaths #MathematicalBooks #STEM #Podcast #Interview #Maths #History #Science #Books #Museums #Encryption #TheMathematiciansLibrary
- Mar 25, 202630 min
Episode 54 - Umaswati - Mind the Gap
In this episode of The Mathematicians Podcast, I am jumping ahead 800 years and travelling 5,000 km back to India to pick up the threads of a fascinating mathematical tradition. I’ll be introducing you to Umaswati, a pivotal figure from around the 2nd Century CE who helped systematise the teachings of Jainism, a religion where "Right Knowledge" and the study of the cosmos made maths a fundamental pursuit. Together, we explore the four broad periods of Indian religious development: Vedic, Śhramana, Puranic, and Bhakti, and see how the Jain tradition carved out a unique space for mathematical inquiry. We’ll discuss: The approximation of \pi : Why the Jains used \sqrt{10} and how they handled circular segments. The power of place value: How ancient Indian poets and scholars were comfortably using numbers as large as 10^64 while the Greeks were still stuck at the Myriad The Five Types of Infinity: Long before Georg Cantor revolutionised set theory in the 19th century, Umaswati and the Jain scholars were already classifying different scales of the infinite and the transfinite. Join me as I navigate the intersection of faith, philosophy, and the infinite. You can find Ben on Bluesky @mathematicians-pod. You can support him at ko-fi.com/benjamincornish. Hashtags:#Maths #HistoryOfMaths #Mathematics #Jainism #Umaswati #India #History #Infinity #LargeNumbers #AncientIndia #STEMPodcast #TheMathematiciansPodcast Keywords:Umaswati, Jaina Mathematics, Indian Mathematics, History of Maths, Brahmanism, Vedic Tradition, Śramaṇa, Mahabharata, Place Value System, Transfinite Numbers, Enumerable and Innumerable, Pi Approximation, Mathematical Philosophy, Ancient Indian Scholars. The music was- "Danse Macabre - Finale" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- Feb 17, 202628 min
Episode 53 - Nabu-rimanni & Kidinu - Systematically Speaking
When is an approximation "good enough"? This week on The Mathematicians Podcast, host Benjamin Cornish opens the doors to his gem and fossil shop to discuss why a polished piece of glass, or a clever mathematical shortcut, can sometimes be just as effective as the real thing. We are shifting our focus toward the sprawling, shifting history of Mesopotamia. Today, we tackle a double bill of Babylonian titans: Nabu-rimanni and Kidinu. Though separated by two centuries and a revolving door of empires (from the Persians to the Greeks), these two temple astronomers foresaw the blossoming of predictive science. In this episode, we explore: The "Feet of Clay" History: A whirlwind tour of Babylon, from the Tower of Babel and Hammurabi’s Code to the rise of the Persians and the lightning conquest of Alexander the Great. System A vs. System B: How Nabu-rimanni’s constant velocity model evolved into Kidinu’s sophisticated "zigzag" acceleration system. The Two-Second Error: How ancient mathematicians using little more than water clocks calculated the synodic month with a precision that rivals modern satellite data. The Babylonian Legacy: Why the Greeks (including Hipparchus) owe their greatest discoveries to the meticulous clay tablets of the East. Keywords:Babylonian Mathematics, History of Astronomy, Nabu-rimanni, Kidinu, System A and System B, Synodic Month, Ancient Babylon, Cuneiform Tablets, Persian Empire, Seleucid Empire, Mathematical History, Benjamin Cornish, Naburimannu, Kidinnu. Hashtags:#Mathematics #HistoryOfMaths #Astronomy #AncientBabylon #NabuRimanni #Kidinu #STEMHistory #SciencePodcast #AncientHistory #Babylon #MathsIsBeautiful #TheMathematiciansPodcast #PersianHistory #ScientificDiscovery Support the Show:If you enjoy the history of the people that count, consider supporting Benjamin via his tips page at https://ko-fi.com/benjamincornish Connect with us:Follow Benjamin on BlueSky at @mathematicians-pod The music was- "Danse Macabre - Finale" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- Jan 27, 202622 min
Episode 52 - Apastamba - What He Said.
Episode 52 of The Mathematicians Podcast, takes us deep into the world of ancient Indian mathematics with a focus on Apastamba and his contributions to the Sulvasutras. Following in the footsteps of Baudhayana, Apastamba codified and clarified Vedic ritual geometry, transforming abstract rules into practical, modular construction techniques. We explore his mathematical approach, the subtle differences between his Sulvasutras and those of Baudhayana, and his work on the Dharma Sutra, which laid out ethical and social laws with remarkable precision. Keywords & Hashtags: Ancient mathematics, Indian mathematics, Apastamba, Sulvasutras, Vedic mathematics, Baudhayana, Yajurveda, Dharma Sutra, Indian mathematicians, history of mathematics, geometry, Pythagoras, ethics, moral philosophy, Vedic ritual, math history podcast, mathematicians podcast, Benjamin Cornish, mathematicians, educational podcast, maths podcast, Indian history, cultural history, modular constructions, ritual geometry, maths enthusiasts, STEM history, historical maths #AncientMathematics #IndianMathematics #Apastamba #Sulvasutras #VedicMathematics #Baudhayana #Yajurveda #DharmaSutra #MathsPodcast #HistoryOfMathematics #Geometry #Ethics #MathematicsHistory #BenjaminCornish #MathematiciansPodcast #STEMHistory #MathsEnthusiasts #EducationalPodcast Support me here: https://ko-fi.com/benjamincornish The music was- "Danse Macabre - Finale" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- Jan 7, 202626 min
Episode 51 - Baudhayana - Back to 1 square
In this episode a journey back to 800 BCE to explore the life and work of Baudhayana, one of the earliest known mathematicians from the Indian tradition. This episode also offers context on the Vedic tradition, the role of mathematics in ritual practices, and the broader connections between ethical, social, and technical knowledge. We discuss how mathematics was a practical, problem-solving craft in ancient India, designed to be memorized, teachable, and repeatable, an engineering mindset long before modern formalizations. Listeners will gain a rich understanding of the spiritual, cultural, and mathematical landscape in which Baudhayana worked, and why his contributions remain significant today. Finally, the episode touches on questions of historical credit, colonial narratives in mathematics, and how we name mathematical discoveries, challenging us to reconsider what we think we “know” about the history of ideas. You can support my work here: https://ko-fi.com/benjamincornish, any tips are most gratefully received. Keywords: Baudhayana, Sulbasutras, Vedic mathematics, ancient India, Pythagoras’ theorem, history of mathematics, approximations of pi, √2, sacred geometry, mathematical history, applied mathematics, Indian mathematicians, Vedic tradition Hashtags: #Baudhayana #VedicMathematics #Sulbasutras #AncientIndia #PythagorasTheorem #MathsHistory #SacredGeometry #AppliedMaths #HistoryOfMaths #MathematiciansPodcast The music was- "Danse Macabre - Finale" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
- Dec 3, 202530 min
Episode 50 - Alcuin of York - A wolf, a Goat and a Cabbage
How do you get a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage across a river without turning the boat into a buffet? Welcome to the Season 1 Finale of The Mathematicians Podcast! Today, we go to the court of Charlemagne to meet Alcuin of York: clergyman, poet, teacher, and potentially history’s first queer mathematician. Alcuin arguably invented the genre of "Recreational Mathematics." In this episode, we open his book Propositiones ad Acuendos Juvenes (Problems to Sharpen the Young), a collection of logic puzzles that includes the world’s first recorded river-crossing problems, inheritance riddles, and a few "impossible" questions designed solely to troll his students. We also discuss Alcuin’s contribution to literacy (specifically the invention of the question mark), his thoughts on baptism, and why he might have been the original miniscule fan. Housekeeping:Please note that the show will be moving to a monthly release schedule as I prepare for the arrival of a new family member. If you would like to support the show through this next phase, please visit the new Ko-Fi page below! Support the Show: Ko-Fi.com/BenjaminCornishContact: @mathematicians-pod on Bluesky Keywords:Alcuin of York, Charlemagne, Carolingian Renaissance, Recreational Mathematics, History of Mathematics, Logic Puzzles, River Crossing Problem, Medieval History, Education History, Series Finale. Hashtags:#MathsHistory #AlcuinOfYork #LogicPuzzles #Charlemagne #MedievalHistory #RecreationalMaths #Podcast #STEMHistory #CarolingianRenaissance #SeasonFinale
- Nov 26, 202520 min
Episode 49 - Bede - Just in Time
Was Bede a mathematician? Well, he certainly made history count. Join Benjamin Cornish for a trip to Northumbria (which is definitely in England) to meet the "OG monk" who mastered the calendar. In this episode, we dip into "On the Reckoning of Time" to discover how one man calculated the date of Easter, argued with the tides, and dated the Garden of Eden to a Tuesday (or close enough). We also explore why we use the AD/BC system and why you should never trust a Solstice. Keywords: Bede, History of Mathematics, Northumbria, Calendars, Paschal Moon, Tides, Chronology, AD/BC. Hashtags: #MathsHistory #TheVenerableBede #MedievalHistory #Podcast #Calendar #Northumbria #Maths The music was- "Danse Macabre - Finale" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
About The Mathematicians Podcast
Where we explore the historical figures that count. An in-depth look at the history of mathematics, in chronological order, looking at the people, the theories, the ideas - with as fewer gaps as possible. Each episode we focus in on a single character or contribution to the history of maths and explore why it is significant, and how it evolved.
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