My Favorite Theorem Podcast
Why is a mathematical theorem like a meringue? Listen to My Favorite Theorem and you might find out!
My Favorite Theorem is a podcast produced by mathematicians Evelyn Lamb, a freelance math and science writer in Salt Lake City, and Kevin Knudson, professor of mathematics at the University of Florida. The podcast’s hosts spend each episode talking with a mathematics professional about their favorite mathematical result (and for fun, guests are asked to pair their favorite theorem with something else, such as a delicious dessert recommendation!)
A number of past and future National Math Festival presenters have been guests on the podcast. If you’d like to learn more, you can download the podcast on iTunes (opens new window), or stream episodes and view episode transcripts online (opens new window). We’ve shared episodes featuring Festival presenters below, featuring additional context and graphics by Evelyn Lamb at her Roots of Unity blog for Scientific American.
- Making Math Joyful (opens new window): “Mathematician-at-large” James Tanton shares playful mathematics and Sperner’s lemma
- Emille Davie Lawrence‘s Favorite Theorem (opens new window): Why the University of San Francisco math professor loves the compact surface classification theorem
- Jordan Ellenberg‘s Favorite Theorem (opens new window): The University of Wisconsin mathematician loves Fermat’s little theorem and knows just the right cheese to pair with it
- Henry Fowler‘s Favorite Theorem (opens new window): The chair of the mathematics department at Diné College talks about what the Pythagorean Theorem intersects with his identity as a Navajo (* Dr. Fowler is featured in the documentary Navajo Math Circles (opens new window), screened at the 2017 Festival!)
- John Urschel‘s Favorite Theorem (opens new window): In which we are honored to be the second-favorite podcast appearance of the only MIT applied math graduate student who has played in the NFL
- Emily Riehl‘s Favorite Theorem (opens new window): The Johns Hopkins University mathematician tells us why doing category theory is like playing the viola
- Francis Su‘s Favorite Theorem (opens new window): The Harvey Mudd College mathematician tells us why he loves playing with Brouwer’s fixed-point theorem
- Holly Krieger‘s Favorite Theorem (opens new window): The Cambridge mathematician expounds on the delightful irony of Brouwer’s fixed-point theorem