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I am looking for mathematical documentaries, both technical and non-technical. They should be "interesting" in that they present either actual mathematics, mathematicians or history of mathematics. I am in charge of nourishing our departmental math library (PUCV) and I would like to add this kind of material in order to attract undergraduates toward mathematics. For this reason, I am not looking for videos of conferences or seminar talks, but rather for introductory or "wide public" material.

Here are some good examples.

Are there more examples? Thanks, Ricardo.

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    $\begingroup$ Not exactly a documentary, but appropriate for an undergrad math library: youtube.com/watch?v=wO61D9x6lNY $\endgroup$
    – Aaron Hoffman
    Commented Jun 19, 2012 at 18:57
  • $\begingroup$ Consult this other question mathoverflow.net/questions/1714/best-online-math-videos ... answers include documentaries, perhaps. $\endgroup$
    – Gerald Edgar
    Commented Jun 19, 2012 at 19:10
  • $\begingroup$ Also see this question mathoverflow.net/questions/77279/… They aren't all documentaries. $\endgroup$
    – Zack Wolske
    Commented Jun 19, 2012 at 21:12
  • $\begingroup$ @Guntram: That's the BBC documentary I mentioned in the question. I would like to know how to purchase it, do you have any information about this? Been able to watch it on youtube is of course fine, but the idea is to have it displayed in the library in order to attract potential viewers who wouldn't look for this kind of material on their own initiative. $\endgroup$
    – Ricardo Menares
    Commented Jun 19, 2012 at 21:40
  • $\begingroup$ There's some good stuff (and plenty of lousy stuff) on youtube. $\endgroup$
    – Michael Hardy
    Commented Jul 12, 2022 at 4:50

62 Answers 62

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Leon Henkin, an expert on mathematical logic and induction, made a movie on Mathematical Induction

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I recently knew of the film "Barry Mazur and the Infinite Cheese of Knowledge". (UPDATE: You can watch in YouTube these days: https://youtu.be/bEf26NFur3w?si=M4ZNwTrxs5p2Cz_6)

According to what we read in the website that was set up for the promotion of the film: "[this is] a compelling and intimate portrait of one of the world's most influential mathematicians, Barry Mazur... The film tells his surprising story and [captures] both his wit and profound approach to life, love and learning. From his early life as an ultra orthodox Jew in the Bronx during World War II, to his present status as one of the world's most admired and influential mathematical thinkers, this film tells the story of a man navigating the worlds of religion and science, fact and philosophy, love and loss. Surprising, witty, and often moving, this portrait of a polymath invites you to rejoice in curiosity in all its forms because ... we are all nibbling on the Infinite Cheese of Knowledge."

  • Additional information about the film:

Duration: 35 min

Filmed and directed by: Oliver Ralfe

Producers: Michael Harris, Kobi Kremnitzer

Associate producers: James Bluemel, Minhyong Kim

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    $\begingroup$ After clicking on the link in the first paragraph - the link vimeo.com/726075229/420e6cbe25 - I get the message: "This video is private". (Maybe that's intentional...?) $\endgroup$
    – Martin Sleziak
    Commented Jul 25, 2022 at 6:01
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    $\begingroup$ @MartinSleziak: I entered this answer after watching the film in the given link... I suppose the owner of the video changed the corresponding permissions in the interim. It sort of saddens me to notice that the MO community didn't take too seriously these paragraphs of mine about this film. $\endgroup$
    – José Hdz. Stgo.
    Commented Jul 27, 2022 at 4:18
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