Birth of a Theorem

“This man could plainly do for mathematics what Brian Cox has done for physics” — Sunday TimesHow does a genius see the world? Where and how does inspiration strike?Cédric Villani takes us on a me ...

“This man could plainly do for mathematics what Brian Cox has done for physics” — Sunday TimesHow does a genius see the world? Where and how does inspiration strike?Cédric Villani takes us on a mesmerising adventure as he wrestles with the Boltzmann equation – a new theorem that will eventually win him the most coveted prize in mathematics and a place in the mathematical history books. Along the way he encounters obstacles and setbacks, losses of faith and even brushes with madness.His story is one of courage and partnership, doubt and anxiety, elation and despair. Of ordinary family life blur