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Mathematics Illuminated

Making Sense of Randomness (#107)

Probability is the mathematical study of randomness, or events in which the outcome is uncertain. This unit examines probability, tracing its evolution from a way to improve chances at the gaming table to modern applications of understanding traffic flow and financial markets.
[27 minutes] Closed Captioning

Information For Teachers

Grade Levels
9-12/Professional Development
Curricular Areas
Math
Series Length
13 episodes
Average Episode Length
28 minutes
Record Rights
Record only; no duplication allowed
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Series Description: Mathematics Illuminated explores major themes in the field of mathematics, from mankind's earliest study of prime numbers to the cutting edge mathematics used to reveal the shape of the universe.

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All Upcoming Episodes

  • Geometries Beyond Euclid (#108)

    Our first exposure to geometry is that of Euclid, in which all triangles have 180 degrees. However, triangles can have more or less than 180 degrees. This unit explores these curved spaces that... [28 minutes] Closed Captioning

  • Game Theory (#109)

    Competition and cooperation can be studied mathematically, an idea that first arose in the analysis of games like chess and checkers, but soon showed its relevance to economics and geopolitical... [28 minutes] Closed Captioning

  • Harmonious Math (#110)

    Sound is the product of airwaves crashing against our eardrums. The mathematical technique for understanding this and other wave phenomena is called the Fourier analysis, which allows the... [28 minutes] Closed Captioning

  • Connecting with Networks (#111)

    Connections can be physical, as with bridges, or immaterial, as with friendships. Both types of connections can be understood using the same mathematical framework called network theory, or graph... [28 minutes] Closed Captioning

  • In Sync (#112)

    Systems of synchronization occur throughout the animate and inanimate world. The beating of the human heart, the swaying and near collapse of the Millennium Bridge, the simultaneous flashing of... [28 minutes] Closed Captioning

  • The Primes (#101)

    The properties and patterns of prime numbers have been a source of wonder across cultures for thousands of years. This unit explores our fascination with primes, culminating in the million-dollar... [28 minutes] Closed Captioning

  • Combinatorics Counts (#102)

    This unit looks at combinatorics, the mathematics of counting complicated configurations. In an age in which the organization of bits and bytes of data is of paramount importance, combinatorics is... [28 minutes] Closed Captioning

  • How Big Is Infinity? (#103)

    This unit explores how mathematics attempts to understand infinity, including the intriguing work of Georg Cantor, who initiated the study of infinity as a number, and the role of infinity in... [28 minutes] Closed Captioning

  • Topology's Twists and Turns (#104)

    Topology's Twists and Turns Topology concerns those properties of an object that remain the same even when the object is stretched and squashed. In this unit we investigate topology's seminal... [28 minutes] Closed Captioning

Past Episodes

These episodes of Mathematics Illuminated aired in the last few months on Iowa Public Television.

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