Series synopsis
Math and the Rise of Civilization, also known as 문명과 수학 is a South Korean documentary television series that premiered on EBS 1 on December 19, 2011. It ended on December 27, 2011.
A guided tour of the history of numbers and how they’ve shaped the development of humankind is at the heart of this unique series. In five episodes that take us across time and around the world, we see how mathematics played an important role in ancient Egypt and Greece, early India, medieval Europe, and our own modern world. Computer graphics make mathematical formulae accessible and interesting, while dramatic reenactments of history pique the viewer’s interest.
Premise
A guided tour of the history of numbers and how they’ve shaped the development of humankind is at the heart of this unique series. In five episodes that take us across time and around the world, we see how mathematics played an important role in ancient Egypt and Greece, early India, medieval Europe, and our own modern world. Computer graphics make mathematical formulae accessible and interesting, while dramatic reenactments of history pique the viewer’s interest.
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 5 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 5 | December 19, 2011 | December 27, 2011 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Beginning of Numbers The narrator takes the spectator on a journey from the pyramids to the bed of the Nile, demonstrating the need to maintain social and geographical stability after the Nile's annual floods. The Inundation is a driving force for the development of numbers and early geometry. |
December 19, 2011 |
| 2 |
The Elements In this episode we move to the Greek civilization, where meticulous thinkers used logic and reason to build the foundations of mathematics laid down by the Egyptians. Along with Pythagoras, to whom we owe the famous theorem, these philosophers have shown, through mathematics, the principles of geometry we know today. |
December 20, 2011 |
| 3 |
The Divinity of Numbers Our journey takes us to the east, the Indian subcontinent, where we find the zero. Representing both 'nothing' and the infinite possibility, this unique digit, when used as a marker, it is a cornerstone of modern mathematics. Along with negative numbers, this innovation has opened, both east and west, never imagined numbers. |
December 21, 2011 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | EBS 1 |
|---|---|
| First aired | December 19, 2011 |
| Last aired | December 27, 2011 |
| Runtime | 50 minutes |
| Status | ended |