The Practice of MathematicsThere are several central mathematical problems, or complexes of problems, that every mathematician who is eager to acquire some broad competence in the subject would like to understand, even if he has no ambition to attack them all. That would be out of the question! Those with the most intellectual and aesthetic appeal to the lecturer are in number theory, classical applied mathematics and mathematical physics. In spite of forty years as a mathematician, he has diffculty describing these problems, even to himself, in a simple, cogent and concise manner that makes it clear what is wanted and why. As a possible, but only partial, remedy the professor thought he might undertake to explain them to a lay audience.
He shall try for a light touch including, in particular, some historical background. Nevertheless the lectures are to be about mathematics. In the first set, there will be geometrical constructions, simple algebraic equations, prime numbers, and perhaps an occasional integral. Every attempt will be made to explain the necessary notions clearly and simply, taking very little for granted except the good will of the audience.The following and more seminar video lectures can be found at:
http://www.math.duke.edu/computing/broadcast.html