PBS Infinite Series

Jan 5, 2017

You’ve always been told that pi is 3.14. This is true, but this number is based on how we measure distance. Find out what happens to pi when we change the way we measure distance.

Jan 12, 2017

In this episode probability mathematics and chess collide. What is the average number of steps it would take before a randomly moving knight returned to its starting square?

Jan 19, 2017

Mathematician Kelsey Houston-Edwards explains exactly what singularities are and how they exist right under our noses.

Jan 26, 2017

Mathematician Kelsey Houston-Edwards explains how to defeat a seemingly undefeatable monster using a rather unexpected mathematical proof. In this episode you’ll see mathematician vs monster, thought vs ferocity, cardinal vs ordinal. You won’t want to miss it.

Feb 2, 2017

Peano arithmetic proves many theories in mathematics but does have its limits. In order to prove certain things you have to step beyond these axioms. Sometimes you need infinity.

Feb 16, 2017

What is the math behind quantum computers? And why are quantum computers so amazing? Find out on this episode of Infinite Series.

Feb 23, 2017

You can find out how to fairly divide rent between three different people even when you don’t know the third person’s preferences! Find out how with Sperner’s Lemma.

Mar 2, 2017

How long will it take to win a game of chess on an infinite chessboard?

Mar 9, 2017

Mar 16, 2017

Mar 23, 2017

Apr 6, 2017

Apr 13, 2017

Apr 20, 2017

Apr 27, 2017

Classical computers struggle to crack modern encryption. But quantum computers using Shor’s Algorithm make short work of RSA cryptography. Find out how.

May 4, 2017

Using the harmonic series we can build an infinitely long bridge. It takes a very long time though. A faster method was discovered in 2009.

May 11, 2017

Can you turn your pants inside out without taking your feet off the ground?

May 19, 2017

Find out why Cantor’s Function is nicknamed the Devil’s Staircase.

Jun 1, 2017

Jun 8, 2017

Jun 15, 2017

What is the best voting system? Voting seems relatively straightforward, yet four of the most widely used voting systems can produce four completely different winners.

Jun 22, 2017

The bizarre Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem, or Arrow’s Paradox, shows a counterintuitive relationship between fair voting procedures and dictatorships.

Jun 29, 2017

The theory of social networks allows us to mathematically model and analyze the relationships between governments, organizations and even the rival factions warring on Game of Thrones.

Jul 13, 2017

What happened when a gambler asked for help from a mathematician? The formal study of Probability

Jul 21, 2017

The answer lies in the weirdness of floating-point numbers and the computer's perception of a number line.

Aug 3, 2017

Why is there a hexagonal structure in honeycombs? Why not squares? Or asymmetrical blobby shapes? In 36 B.C., the Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro wrote about two of the leading theories of the day. First: bees have six legs, so they must obviously prefer six-sided shapes. But that charming piece of numerology did not fool the geometers of day. They provided a second theory: Hexagons are the most efficient shape. Bees use wax to build the honeycombs -- and producing that wax expends bee energy. The ideal honeycomb structure is one that minimizes the amount of wax needed, while maximizing storage -- and the hexagonal structure does this best.

Aug 10, 2017

What happens when you try to empty an urn full of infinite balls? It turns out that whether the vase is empty or full at the end of an infinite amount of time depends on what order you try to empty it in. Check out what happens when randomness and the Ross-Littlewood Paradox collide.