The Spell of the Poincaré Conjecture

Directed by

Masahito Kasuga

Written by

Masahito Kasuga

Produced by

NHK

Documentary, Japan, 2007, 59 min

What is the shape of our universe? The Poincaré Conjecture, formulated in 1904 by French mathematician and philosopher Henri Poincaré, promised to shed light on that question.

Yet it remained unproved for a century, as scores of mathematicians tried and failed to establish a full proof, though many advanced the quest. Some devoted their entire careers to the effort; the frustration of failure drove several of them to the brink of madness.

Recently, a reclusive Russian genius named Grigori Perelman offered an innovative proof that has now been confirmed. Yet he has refused the Fields Medal, mathematics’ highest honor. He has also resigned from his research institute and almost completely disappeared from society. The brilliant solution has thus yielded a personal conundrum. This program explores a century of intellectual struggle, a story that spans heartbreaking defeats and awe-inspiring triumphs.

Debate with :

• Vincent Colin, professor, Mathematics and their interactions