![]() Cédric Villani, a French mathematician turned politician, won the 2010 Fields Medal for his work on Landau damping and the Boltzmann equation. If you have ever wondered what makes a prestigious mathematician tick, this book is for you. ![]() For those poor souls who have not had yet the pleasure of spontaneous, beer-infused mathematics lectures, I offer you this close analog: enjoying Birth of a Theorem: A Mathematical Adventure by Cédric Villani (translated into English from French by Malcolm DeBevoise) with a glass of wine at your side and, if you so choose, in the dark bar of your choice. Some may think I'm joking, but those of you who have spent hours in dark corners of bars in the presence of this noble, calculating breed know why: these super-human creatures turn set theory and topology into intellectual delights for those of us who were lucky to even pass calculus. However, no truly amazing dinner party would be complete without a cohort of mathematicians (and a few physicists, but I'll leave my love of physicists for future articles). Have you ever thought about your ideal guest list for the best dinner party imaginable? One with never-ending conversation on a range of topics? Mine would include several favorite authors and artists. ![]()
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