CF

Great Thinkers, Great Theorems

12h 14m 35s
English
Paid

Great Thinkers, Great Theorems is a 24-lesson 12 hours 14 minutes self-paced course by Dr. William Dunham, Wondrium (The Great Courses). Delve into the mechanics of some of math's greatest and most awe-inspiring achievements.

Course facts

Lessons
24
Duration
12 hours 14 minutes
Level
All levels
Language
English
Updated
Instructor
Dr. William Dunham, Wondrium (The Great Courses)
Price
Premium

Delve into the mechanics of some of math's greatest and most awe-inspiring achievements.

Explore the most awe-inspiring theorems in the 3,000-year history of mathematics with the 24 lectures of Great Thinkers, Great Theorems. Professor William Dunham, an award-winning teacher with a talent for conveying the essence of mathematical ideas, reveals how great minds like Pythagoras, Newton, and Euler crafted theorems that would revolutionize our understanding of the world. Approaching great theorems the way an art course approaches great art, Professor Dunham will open your mind to new levels of mathematics appreciation.

Who teaches Great Thinkers, Great Theorems?

Dr. William Dunham

Dr. William Dunham thumbnail

Dr. William Dunham is a US mathematician (Bryn Mawr College visiting scholar, Muhlenberg College emeritus) and the author of multiple celebrated books on the history of mathematics, including Journey Through Genius and The Mathematical Universe. His teaching material on mathematical history has been published as on-demand video courses for general audiences.

His CourseFlix listing carries Great Thinkers, Great Theorems — a comprehensive lecture series on the history of mathematics through the lens of its greatest thinkers (Euclid, Archimedes, Newton, Euler, Cantor) and the theorems that define their contributions.

Material is paid and aimed at general adult learners interested in mathematics and its history. The course sits in the broader Non-Tech catalog on CourseFlix.

Wondrium (The Great Courses)

Wondrium (The Great Courses) thumbnail

Wondrium (formerly The Great Courses Plus and originally The Great Courses) is a US online education platform that has been publishing university-level video lecture series since 1990. The platform's distinctive contribution is the depth and production quality of its courses — each is taught by a tenured university professor with the production values of a documentary series, not a YouTube tutorial.

The catalog covers academic disciplines rather than technical-skill training: history, philosophy, science, mathematics, literature, music theory, religion, economics. Material is taught by faculty from Stanford, Yale, Princeton, the University of Chicago, MIT, and similar institutions. Wondrium is typically used by intellectually-curious adult learners filling in the liberal-arts side of their education.

The CourseFlix listing under this source carries over 19 Wondrium / Great Courses titles spanning that range — sitting in the broader CourseFlix catalog as general-interest reference rather than as a software-engineering track. Material is paid; Wondrium itself runs on a monthly / annual subscription on the original platform.

What lessons are included in Great Thinkers, Great Theorems?

This is a demo lesson (10:00 remaining)

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#1: 1 Theorems as Masterpieces
All Course Lessons (24)
#Lesson TitleDurationAccess
1
1 Theorems as Masterpieces Demo
31:44
2
2 Mathematics before Euclid
31:10
3
3 The Greatest Mathematics Book of All
28:56
4
4 Euclid's Elements - Triangles and Polygons
31:42
5
5 Number Theory in Euclid
28:37
6
6 The Life and Works of Archimedes
29:16
7
7 Archimedes' Determination of Circular Area
31:32
8
8 Heron's Formula for Triangular Area
31:21
9
9 Al-Khwarizmi and Islamic Mathematics
29:49
10
10 A Horatio Algebra Story
28:45
11
11 To the Cubic and Beyond
32:04
12
12 The Heroic Century
31:13
13
13 The Legacy of Newton
30:13
14
14 Newton's Infinite Series
30:53
15
15 Newton's Proof of Heron's Formula
31:35
16
16 The Legacy of Leibniz
30:39
17
17 The Bernoullis and the Calculus Wars
31:01
18
18 Euler, the Master
30:25
19
19 Euler's Extraordinary Sum
31:09
20
20 Euler and the Partitioning of Numbers
30:42
21
21 Gauss - the Prince of Mathematicians
30:22
22
22 The 19th Century - Rigor and Liberation
30:55
23
23 Cantor and the Infinite
29:30
24
24 Beyond the Infinite
31:02
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Books

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Frequently asked questions

What prerequisites are needed for this course?
The course is designed for individuals with a general interest in mathematics. While a basic understanding of high school-level math might be helpful, the course does not require advanced mathematical skills. It focuses on appreciating the historical and conceptual development of mathematical theorems rather than complex calculations.
What types of theorems will I study in this course?
The course covers a wide range of significant mathematical theorems throughout history. You will explore Euclid's Elements on triangles and polygons, Archimedes' determination of circular area, Heron's formula for triangular area, and Euler's extraordinary sum, among others. The course presents these theorems as masterpieces, highlighting their historical context and impact.
Who is the target audience for this course?
This course is ideal for anyone interested in the history of mathematics and its great thinkers. It appeals to those who appreciate the elegance and beauty of mathematical theorems and want to understand the contributions of figures like Pythagoras, Newton, and Euler. It's suitable for both math enthusiasts and those new to the subject.
How does this course compare to other mathematics courses?
Unlike traditional mathematics courses that focus on problem-solving techniques and formulas, this course offers a historical and conceptual overview of mathematics' greatest theorems. It approaches mathematical theorems as works of art, emphasizing their beauty and historical significance rather than computational methods.
What specific mathematical tools or platforms are covered?
The course does not focus on specific mathematical tools or software platforms. Instead, it provides insights into the historical development of mathematical ideas and the great minds that shaped them, such as Newton's infinite series and Euler's partitioning of numbers.
What topics are not covered in this course?
The course does not delve into modern computational mathematics or the use of technology in solving mathematical problems. It also does not cover advanced mathematical topics such as differential equations or linear algebra, focusing instead on the historical context of great mathematical theorems.
What is the time commitment for completing this course?
The course consists of 24 lectures, each designed to be a self-contained exploration of a theorem or mathematician. While the exact runtime is not specified, students typically engage with one lecture per session, making it possible to complete the course over a few weeks with regular study.