| Summary: | The properties and patterns of prime numbers - whole numbers that are divisible only by themselves and one - have been a source of wonder across cultures for thousands of years, and the study of prime numbers is fundamental to mathematics. This unit explores our fascination with primes, culminating in the million-dollar puzzle of the Riemann Hypothesis, a possible description of the pattern behind the primes, and the use of the primes as the foundation of modern cryptography. Guests interviewed include Terence Tao, UCLA, and Ray Perlner, National Institute of Standards and Technology. Mathematics Illuminated is a 13-part multimedia learning resource for adult learners and high school teachers in math and other disciplines. The series 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. Rather than a series of problems to be solved, mathematics is presented as play we engage in to answer deep questions that are relevant in our world today. Mathematics also provides us with a powerful language for uncovering and describing phenomena in the world around us. The groundbreaking videos, interactive Web exploration, text materials, and group activities included in Mathematics Illuminated reveal the secrets and hidden delights of the ever-evolving world of mathematics.
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