N is A Number

A documentary filmed in England, Hungary, Poland and the United States over a five-year period, this video presents Erdos' mathematical quest in its personal and philosophical dimensions, and the tragic historical events that moulded his life.

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A man with no home and no job, Paul Erdos was the most prolific mathematician who ever lived. Born in Hungary in 1913, Erdos wrote and co-authored over 1,500 papers and pioneered several fields in theoretical mathematics. At the age of 83 he still spent most of his time on the road, going from math meeting to math meeting, continually working on problems. He died on September 20, 1996 while attending such a meeting in Warsaw, Poland. The film opens at Cambridge University's 1991 honorary doctorate ceremony, where Erdos received an award he says he would gladly trade for a "nice new proof." For Erdos, the meaning of life is "to prove and conjecture." To pursue this life of wandering and pure scholarship, Erdos relied on a network of other renowned mathematicians-all of whom regarded him as an international treasure. As the film progresses it becomes clear that mathematicians around the world had more than a professional stake in caring for Erdos. In different ways, each of the many prominent mathematicians in the film expresses dedication to and love for Erdos.