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'N' is a Number (1993)
A man with no home and no job, Paul Erdös was the most prolific mathematician who ever lived. The wandering mathematician, who died at age 83 in September, 1996, spent his life engaged in a struggle to uncover truths hidden by a stubborn adversary-God-in a metaphysical duel he describes with the same wry humor he applied to politics, death and relationships. He pioneered several fields in theoretical mathematics, and published or co-authored more than 1,500 mathematical papers in a field where 50 good papers in a lifetime would be considered an achievement. Using interviews with Erdös himself, film clips of Erdös lecturing and discussions with those who knew and were influenced by him, N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös captures the life and work of this accomplished scholar and teacher. N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös provides insight into the mathematical quest of this amazing man, the personal and philosophical dimensions of his work, and the tragic historical events that molded his extraordinary life. N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös was produced, directed and edited by George Paul Csicsery. Cinematography is by John Knoop, and original music was composed by Mark Adler. Animated sequences were created by Red Dot Interactive. The film was made with support from the American Mathematical Society, Film Arts Foundation, the Heineman Foundation, the Mathematical Association of America, and the National Science Foundation's Informal Science Education Program. N is a Number: A Portrait of Paul Erdös has won awards and appeared at numerous festivals, including the Festival International du Nouveau Cinéma et de la Vidéo de Montréal, the Budapest Film Week, the Berlin Film Festival-European Film Market, the National Educational Film & Video Festival, where it won a Gold Apple Award in 1994, the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Chicago International Film Festival (Gold Plaque Award, 1994), the Auckland-Wellington, New Zealand Film Festivals, Festival International du Film Scientifique du Québec and the Cork Film Festival. 57 minutes. ISBN: 0-933621-62-0. Home DVD: $29.95 Universities and University Libraries: $99.00 |