Mathematics in Arcadia: Tom Stoppard in Conversation with Robert Osserman

The inspiration for art has been attributed to, among other things, the fury of nature and the beauty of a woman (or is it the other way around?). But a mathematical equation, not to mention an especially obscure one from the 17th century? Believe it or not, Pierre de Fermat's "Last Theorem" did indeed ignite contemporary English playwright Tom Stoppard's (co-scriptwriter of Shakespeare in Love) imagination in writing his play Arcadia. Basically, Fermat proposed that it is impossible to write a cube as the sum of two cubes. After Fermat died, his son found the theorem written in the margin of a book with the legendary teaser "I have a wonderful proof that this margin is too narrow to contain." Of course, Fermat's proof, if he ever committed it to paper, has never been found, and was only recently proved with the help of computers. This video was shot live during a conversation on stage (and includes those scenes from the play that relate to mathematics issues) between mathematician Robert Osserman, who proves to be a warm and thoughtful interviewer, and Stoppard, who was captivated by the mystery that took hundreds of years to solve. Sound dull? Surprisingly, it's not--but it's also not for everyone. An optional purchase for larger arts and mathematics collections. Aud: C, P. (C. Block)