What is the purpose of Mathematics?

Directed by

Xavier Falandry

Produced by

C Productions Chromatiques

Documentary, France, 2011, 52 min

"What is the purpose of Mathematics?" wondered generations of students desperately fixing the blackboard or their sheet. And we must admit that in our daily life, very few of us use them.

How to attract children to the science often regarded as too abstract? What are today's high-level mathematics? What are their practical use in society?

To answer these questions, our investigator meets researchers in pure mathematics, but also users of practical mathematical applications in the fields of computer science, biology and finance.

Debate with :

• Cédric Villani, mathematician, 2010 Fields medalist, professor at the University of Lyon, director of th Institut Henri Poincaré

Know more

• You may watch the videos of the discussion (ONLY IN FRENCH) :

1. La beauté et l'art dans les mathématiques
2. Les mathématiques et la finance
3. Les objectifs dans la recherche
4. Les probabilités
5. Nouveaux sujets
6. La vocation et l'enseignement des mathématiques
7. L'Institut Henri Poincaré
8. Les mathématiques pures et applications
9. Les mathématiques et chauve-souris