Paul Erdős (1913-1996), a recognized pioneer in probabilistic number theory and discrete mathematics, was also known for his peripatetic lifestyle. His nearly constant travels—with all of his belongings packed in a single suitcase—included visits to 500-plus colleagues, and he was the most prolific mathematician of his time, with more than 1,500 publications to his credit. Documentarian George Paul Csicsery, who made an excellent film about Erdős called N is a Number (VL-11/04), also helmed Erdős 100 (2013)—a half-hour portrait celebrating the centenary of Erdős’s birth—which includes reminiscences and testimonials from peers. In this anthology, Erdős 100 is accompanied by four substantial interviews that Csicsery conducted with Erdős between 1988-91, as well as four 2018 featurettes on particular elements of Erdős’s work ("On Erdős-Bacon Numbers," "The Rise of Combinatorics," "Large Gaps Between Primes," and "A Brief History of the Probabilistic Method"). The final film in this collection, Something New Every Day (2015), centers on Ronald Graham, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of California San Diego—a major force in discrete mathematics and a friend and admirer of Erdős. Taken together, Csicsery’s films offer a profile of a man not only devoted to his discipline but also one who encouraged younger members to tackle math’s most difficult problems. But unlike N is a Number, this will be of interest primarily to specialists rather than a general audience. A strong optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Erdős 100 Plus
(2018) 180 min. DVD: $24.95, Blu-ray: $29.95: individuals; DVD: $129.95, Blu-ray: $134.95 w/PPR: institutions. Zala Films. ISBN: 978-0-9855347-3-8 (dvd). Volume 33, Issue 6
Erdős 100 Plus
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