The Fields Medal (with Cédric Villani) - Numberphile

Cédric Villani won the Fields Medal in 2010. You can learn more in his excellent book Birth of a Theorem.
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[@TheShattubatu]

I am like 95% sure Cédric is a wizard.

[@manuc.260]

+TheShattubatu And the Spider he wears can come to life when he wishes to

[@CastelDawn]

+Manuel Catz haha, man, that was kind of a cute touch

[@ChiggyChiggyChiggy]

He is a mathemagician.

[@callummanson2491]

+TheShattubatu villani isnt his real last name, its actually diggory ;)

[@hotshot1o2o3o]

+Callum Manson Yeah he must have had to change it to avoid suspicion

[@TSBoncompte]

"please allow me to keep my heart to myself" such a gentle, polite dismissal xD

[@Tjousk]

Indeed

[@jesusthroughmary]

+El Torco He seems like a proper gentleman.

[@moohooman]

his so intelligent

[@ZardoDhieldor]

+jesusthroughmary He's French. Of course, he's a gentlemen.

[@TimmehTRP]

90% of the French are complete assholes.

[@Kurisuto321]

People don't realize how cool Cédric is. This guy is a math genius, so there's that, but he's also a manga/anime fan and a metal concert goer. And when he speaks in French, he sounds like a 19th century man-- yeah because he's also a big book-lover and so he speaks quite a nice French. Great guy.

[@aybrokemyback6739]

He's now minister 😯

[@vinayvardhanyt2415]

@@aybrokemyback6739 really?

[@p4nky130]

@@vinayvardhanyt2415 yup, French culture minister I guess I mean he was few years ago, I don't know if he's still

[@vianneyedie4066]

Thomas le no he works to Paris city hall

[@Flashyfinancier]

@@vianneyedie4066 mauvais Anglais mon gars ..tu peut faire mieux

[@Yinheero]

I bet I have seen him somewhere in Assassin's Creed

[@horowirtz9415]

Surely Unity

[@Mralexhancock]

Haha ! xD

[@readingrebellion9758]

Ahahaha

[@PersimmonHurmo]

@@horowirtz9415 go reach your dreams

[@horowirtz9415]

@@PersimmonHurmo thanks but how do you know what my dreams are?

[@rodluvan1976]

what a beautiful human being

[@Duskbear]

+rodluvan1976 Yes, that really is a nice way of putting it.

[@afrofaust1913]

+Luca Grafenhorst Be respectful. He's well-decorated, and spends his life improving the world you live in. A genius.

[@Duskbear]

Afro Faust I wasn't being sarcastic, he really has a light of his own.

[@AureliusEnterprises]

+Afro Faust No need to be cynical. He was being respectful.

[@afrofaust1913]

AureliusEnterprises I would offer you also that there's no need to restate what he himself replied with :)

[@mrZbozon]

I would like to see more of this guy.

[@HamsterFurtif]

+mrZbozon Breaking new ! A "More Villanni" button appears at the end of the video and allows you to see more of this guy !

[@mrZbozon]

+Hamster Furtif What's your point?

[@HamsterFurtif]

mrZbozon My point is that you can actually see more of this guy by clicking on the link provided in the video. Timecode is 9:33.

[@mrZbozon]

+Hamster Furtif Yes and that has nothing to do with what I'm saying. I was quite aware of that already. I was leaving feedback to show that if even more content was made I would watch that too.

[@HamsterFurtif]

mrZbozon Okay, my mistake then.

[@user-dj7nl2ct3q]

This man is extremely humble. His politeness, his way of speaking. This really makes me motivated. I hope he solves that problem he wishes to solve.

[@LChsn-vp5zx]

He's now running for the Paris election, and he's a member of the parlement for 2 years now. That's an other way to solve problem i guess :')

[@NoriMori1992]

9:17 - "Wow, it would be lovely. But no. That one is not for me. That one will be for somebody else - I hope." In the future, Cédric Villani accidentally solves the Riemann Hypothesis while working on something else. "Merde."

[@TheDerHeld]

Epic comment i can really hear him saying that!!

[@attoblaze3395]

@@TheDerHeld epic gamer moment

[@christiantp3750]

I think that day will never come. Now, he dedicates to politics

[@Triantalex]

false.

[@cg8397]

Unlikely, he's dumped mathematics for politics and philosophy.

[@Defeshh]

Brady is the best interviewer I know of. He understands people and often his questions are about emotions and motivations. I never comment on your videos Brady, but I'm grateful to know about your channels. You are the real communicator, no smugness, no sugar coating, no mindless entertainment. Keep it up.

[@DeoMachina]

+Defeshh Brady is like the Louis Theroux of KZbin honestly

[@artartsen2898]

I don't mean to alarm you but there's a spider on your chest.

[@Bloubz77]

+Art Artsen He always has it. It's like its "thing", its symbol. We recognize and talk about him by referring to its spider

[@felipemorales6954]

+Bloubz77

[@chaine4230]

How many spiders has he got ?

[@Dadalevrai]

Welcome to Cedric Villani's world !!

[@EddyJaber]

Around 30

[@vasdgod]

"We Mathematicians are small in front of mathematical accomplishments"

[@Myrslokstok]

Actually it should be writhen on his tombstone. It's the kind of true humbelness of a great accivment. I don't think you need to be humble with a Fieldsmedal, but when you say this things you probably are truly!

[@MrLuijcx]

wow. such memories much remember

[@oretika]

+Ben Luijcx very souvenir

[@patetra13]

xD

[@aforsy]

yesss

[@NoriMori1992]

That part made me laugh so hard. It made him sound even more like a stereotypical Frenchman. XD

[@SoumilSahu]

+NoriMori ikr!!

[@mitsterful]

I've been waiting for cedric villani to be on numberphile for ages

[@zephyrix4114]

Are you satisfied?

[@hamzafouatih9898]

+mitsterful same here!

[@waltermcdonough]

he needs a haircut tho

[@IzaakCha7]

I got a participation medal once

[@mipmipmipmipmip]

participation of the 'no child left behind' program?

[@IzaakCha7]

+mipmipmipmipmip Yeah, that's the one ! Thank you, George W. Bush !

[@alephnull4044]

Lol!

[@paulyetman2292]

Lol

[@stuartrockin]

Why the fuck are mathematician so eccentric? The guy with 100's of klien bottles who is 1 lab accident away from turning into Doc Brown and now this guy, who appears to be a bond villain. Hell, i had a math teacher in school who used to read our names out backwards and smash clocks on the floor yelling "Times is relative"

[@jmiquelmb]

I don't know. But maybe people who are passionate about their job don't care that much about social conventions

[@-vermin-]

+stuartrockin "1 lab accident away from turning into Doc Brown". I literally lol'ed. Maybe having an interesting perspective on life aids in solving difficult mathematical problems simply because they are more able to look at the problems in a different way?

[@KyleDB150]

It's pretty common that the cleverest people can be the oddest, maybe it's thier way of questioning, why should I be normal when I have such an understanding of the universe? I should wear a spider on my shirt today, yeahhhhhh

[@firstnamelastname4752]

It's the numbers. There's just so many.

[@klaxoncow]

+stuartrockin In order to see the things that no-one's ever seen before, you need to be looking with a different set of eyes. That is, if you think like everyone else, then you'll come to much the same conclusions as everyone else. Because your thoughts lead you to the same places that everyone else goes. But if you think differently, you see the problems differently. You see it with different eyes. You come up with new previously-unthought-of solutions. You see the things that other people don't see - and, of course, all new discoveries must necessarily live in that uncharted space, or someone would have seen them and discovered it already. Logical, yes? Well, that's my theory on why genius - not just mathematical genius, but all genius, in fact - does tend to be a little weird and eccentric around the edges. I think it's all rather awesome. Homogeneity is, frankly, very boring. Tedious, even. Vive la difference! ;D

[@vibodhj349]

He came to Mumbai once to deliver some guest lectures, and I loved it! I even had the opportunity to ask him some questions and most of the time he was like-"No, no, it's not like that" and then he explained the mathematics behind his research on Plasma Physics that got him the Fields medal. I remember one guy asking him that what's a soul? And I reacted-"But this is not Math, this is metaphysics!" and then he said-"Yes, it's metaphysics!", God, he was being followed by an army of students( I was one of them lol ), he is no less than a Bollywood/Hollywood superstar in Academia. Inspiring.

[@otakuribo]

Love the hair, love the spider broach, love his eccentric manners; so humble and modest for someone who's unlocked maths' biggest achievement!

[@largesatsuma]

You could pick this guy up, put him in the 15th century with the same hairstyle and clothes, and he wouldn't look out of place.

[@NoriMori1992]

I was having a similar thought. XD For the first few seconds I was put off because I thought his accent was pretentious, but then it panned up, and I took it all in, and I was like, "...Oh my God, this guy was transplanted from the 18the century AND I LOVE IT." I love people who are really different and eccentric in a very authentic way; they are such a joy to behold.

[@sirknight4981]

@@NoriMori1992 I know this comment is two years old but how can a person's natural accent be pretentious? Do you just not like the French accent?

[@Gooberpatrol66]

Pretty sure his outfit is more 19th century

[@dlevi67]

@@Gooberpatrol66 Never let facts get in the way of a beautiful theory.

[@fattyacid1901]

Even a small mind like mine can appreciate a giant gold coin.

[@ifrazali3052]

Lol

[@theyoutubeuser6797]

Only a small mind like mine can appreciate a giant gold coin.

[@vladimirpeanuts]

@@theyoutubeuser6797 Lol

[@Yamagatabr]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@isabeln.93]

I've such an admiration for Villani. Not only is he a brilliant mathematician, but also an amazing person

[@kerbalized]

I absolutely love the poetic-ness of his speech. Like Shakespeare and Euclid had a love child. I'd love to see more!

[@phampton6781]

This guy could be transported to the 19th Century and not be out of place.

[@NoriMori1992]

My thoughts exactly. XD

[@sangyongpark2137]

P Hampton Sounds right.

[@AquaWeiner]

Except he would be even smarter relatively because he has more than 100 years of math knowledge no one on the planet has at that time.

[@Ki65360]

I like how he says "c'est à dire" while he is speaking english

[@vibraphonics]

I'm almost certain he said "study"

[@gchelem]

@@vibraphonics no Albert is correct he says "c'est à dire" which means "in other words"

[@vibraphonics]

@@gchelem I can't even find it in the video now

[@rz7464]

Tim James You’re right he says « study of »

[@leo17921]

it means "i.e."

[@stocktonjoans]

Everything about this guy, from his name to his clothes, screams Sherlock Holms adversary, and I mean that as a sincere compliment ;)

[@agent-sz2qj]

+ben middleton comparing someone with sherlock holmes is always a compliment

[@CastelDawn]

+ben middleton he's planing some dirty stuff with professor Moriarty.

[@stocktonjoans]

CastelDawn my thoughts exactly!

[@ChristopherKing288]

that would be an awesome story. Someone write it.

[@aracilflorent1717]

In fact he DOES weave mischievious plots with a notorious supervillain

[@cahnory]

"When a wise man points at the moon the imbecile examines the spider on his jacket." - Chinese proverb

[@maxwellsequation4887]

Ooooooo spooky

[@NoriMori1992]

Wot?

[@micosair]

Now if only you could interview Perelman..

[@VeteranVandal]

+micosair THAT is a challenge...

[@MrPoutsesMple]

that would be pretty hard...

[@ragnkja]

Finding Perelman is one thing. Getting him to agree to appear on camera is the _real_ challenge.

[@zigmasj6572]

Why would Perelman show off on some KZbin when he probably knows how to control the universe...

[@jbman890]

ZiGO LT Perelman can warp space and time

[@olomorn3813]

He doesn't sood as crazy in english as he does in french. But he still have the cool spider, so he's cool i guess :3

[@izaacchirac4501]

+Olomorn Crazy?

[@olomorn3813]

+Florain Bially "odd" is more appropriate i guess. His way of speaking is not very usual, but it's cool I think ^^

[@bastienetchegoyen8873]

+Olomorn Cedric is not crazy at all, it feels like every single answers he gives have been worked on a lot when in fact he only thinks for a couples of seconds. He choose words really wisely.

[@olomorn3813]

Bastien Etchegoyen Yeah, that's what i said, it's more odd than crazy. I really respect him, it's just not usual ^^

[@assombranceanderson6175]

+Jérôme he didn't mean way of speaking as the accent, but rather as the word he chose and so on i think

[@XiaosChannel]

I like this guy's style.

[@mikkokarkkainen2807]

He is indeed a humble guy

[@snt_gulab]

After reading his book, watching him say the things he wrote is exactly how I imagined it, and yet so much more satisfactory. He's like a fairytale come true. One of my scholarly heroes.

[@ericsbuds]

I love the way you talk, the accent, the words, its like poetry.

[@callummanson2491]

this guy is 100% a time lord

[@DanoByrnee]

I would listen to him speak about literally anything , if he read his shopping history for the last 10 years I would listen intently

[@adip8]

Dano Byrne Who wouldn't

[@oldcowbb]

he kind of looks like descartes

[@smeldrick]

+oldcowbb bingo, that's it.

[@AxeSovax]

Well if you think he does, then he does.

[@CatnamedMittens]

Or like guy Fawkes.

[@firewizzard86]

+Axe Sovax +1

[@andrewxc1335]

Are you saying all Frenchmen look the same? ;)

[@angelj.vargas8665]

-It is the Riemann hypothesis? -That one is no for me Mathematics is the most beautiful and abstract of the sciences

[@RUJedi]

He seems like one of the most humble and gentle speakers I've seen in a long time. More Cedric please!

[@SA-ky3gc]

such memories...

[@thewordshifter]

I've never heard of this guy, but I really really enjoyed his interview. He looks like an extra from a Victorian miniseries, he has those deep and insightful and polite eyes, and his accent is adorable (although I suppose he can't help that as much). He seems like a really great guy. Would love more interviews with him.

[@brianpso]

This man is a hero for me now. So much respect for the way he sees things.

[@over01minds]

Thank you Numberphile. Your questions, his answers ... they've awoken my spirit. Thank you from the heart.

[@Alatikus]

I love your interviews, Brady! They are so relaxed and respectful and yet are to the point. Love to watch them :)

[@SpringDivers]

Amazing interview, Brady. Thanks so much.

[@drink__more__water]

I really liked this episode, and appreciated Cédric having shared.

[@cmonkey73]

This was an amazing video. The interview was done well, and I truly loved Villani's perspective on his work.

[@randymcsmash]

great interview, what a lovely chap.

[@Pumbear]

Wow great video, loved every second. What an awesome and humble man.

[@XxRiseagainstfanxX]

This got me extremely motivated right now, would like to hear more from him!

[@DomenBremecXCVI]

This guy is so calm... And the voice so soft.... You are, really great, sir!

[@pitthepig]

This is one of the best interviews I've ever seen .

[@GeldarionTFS]

I adore the way he speaks of specific mathematical problems as if they were long lost lovers or something. Absolutely beautiful.

[@CoolDesaster]

SUPER DUPER!!! Now this is why I watch numberphile

[@aries_9130]

We definitely need more videos with him! What an incredibly awesome man.

[@maxim7718]

This guy is so cool, I once met him in the street while eating at the restaurant and I said to him that I loved maths and he sat so we ate a bit together and it was awesome.

[@shugaroony]

A fine interview and a very humble man, who clearly appreciates doing maths and science for the knowledge, not for the awards. I'm too old for the Fields Medal, but there is always that Abel Prize to seek - who knows, one day perhaps!

[@stoltheds7698]

Hey I know this guy! He played a very large part in a french movie/documentary called "pourquoi je déteste les maths", (why do I hate maths) this is basically a 2 hours long numberphile episode x)

[@lucian823]

Yeah my math teacher showed it me ... I don't do math anymore

[@black_platypus]

It should be "Why I hate maths" (explanation/announcement) rather than "Why do I hate maths" (question) I think. (The question would be "Pourquoi est-ce que je deteste les maths" if memory serves - right?)

[@ve4410]

What impressed me most was his cluttered and disorganized desk while giving an interview. It speaks loads about his confidence and sense of accomplishment in his field.

[@Musicienne-DAB1995]

YES!!! I noticed this as well.

[@kwanarchive]

True fact: He is mentioned in Star Wars in reference to Mos Eisley. "A wretched hive of scum and Villani".

[@CatnamedMittens]

Boooo

[@waltermcdonough]

well yea

[@Sky6Knight]

And a punk rock and metal fan as well... Oh Cedric, you'll never stop inspiring me.

[@arthurmatematica]

When you catch yourself almost crying... wow

[@gooddrderl]

This is probably one of videos so far! Awesome perspective from Prof. Villani

[@sdcair]

I like these videos, that revolve around the mindset (ambitions, life lessons, etc.) of a mathematician. More of that would be awesome!

[@SeismicDragon]

Johnny Depp needs to play him in a movie.

[@petewest3122]

What a thoroughly nice chap, with a dapper style to boot.

[@ximecreature]

For what one might not expect from such a great Mathematician, Mr Villani is actually an excellent lecturer and I enjoyed hearing his conferences about, among other things, Poincarré. I encourage the numberphile to get interested into Mr Villani and Etienne Klein, two great people in French sciences.

[@rushianokun]

Brady, you freaking rock at interviewing, im amazed you still ask the right questions.

[@bmhoge]

I will definitely be watching the "coming soon" videos featuring Villani. He has such a wonderful way with words and a unique charisma that makes this video much more interesting than you would expect.

[@desertedham37]

such a beautifully strange person

[@40KTTR]

Very inspiring video! Thanks Prof. Villani and thank you Brady!

[@RicoCordova]

He seemed like such a lovely person. So polite, and thoughtful. His accent made it all the more beautiful.

[@StoOopidMonkey]

Ah Cédric Villani! Un homme extraordinaire! Chacune de ses allocution est passionnante! Keep up the great work Brady!

[@WarisAmirMohammad]

Which Gym he's the leader of?

[@Postcinct]

+Waris Amir Mohammad Hey buddy, I think you've got the wrong door, the leather club's two blocks down.

[@catsexual3412]

I laughed way too much reading your comment.

[@69Neoares69]

+Waris Amir Mohammad Rock gym. He has an Onyx and a Geodude

[@stormsurge1]

Some bug type gym probably.

[@tehlawler1]

I feel like he would either use grass or dark/ghost pokemon

[@krazybubbler]

Great interview. Thank you!

[@Anchor9Studios]

I love his voice. It's like a child with so much excitement but explains it very slowly

[@parkerd2154]

Such an inspiring interview. Cedric is full of simple truths

[@Nimrast]

just like mathematics

[@straytonox1492]

he just don't speak english Xd

[@allkinds1069]

this man is actually incredibly wise, the last part of this video really shows this

[@rosePetrichor]

I can recommend his book Birth of a Theorem wholeheartedly; I had the privilege of hearing Prof Villani speak at Oxford about his experiences as a mathematician and had the book signed by him, he's a truly lovely chap :)

[@oO_toOomy_Oo]

the best interview i have ever seen the talk is full of wisdom and pureness

[@NoriMori1992]

I admit that this is the first time I've heard of this man. Not quite ten minutes of exposure, and I can barely even express how much I love him. Also, I'm glad to have seen this, because the first inscription on the Fields Medal is almost terrifyingly perfect for a story I'm writing. I was never fully satisfied with the quote I've been using up 'til now. This is going to be its replacement.

[@NoriMori1992]

+shomolya Oh, awesome! Thank you!

[@RezaAP]

Plz, plz, plz more of sir Cédric Villani.

[@AnonTheRant]

What a wonderful, down to earth guy. Would love to see more videos of him.

[@anthonyrojas9989]

He is such an intriguing person, I love hearing him describe anything.

[@daviddante1989]

more of cedric please, the guy is interesting to listen to.

[@Nerdthagoras]

Cedric is very theatric in the way he speaks and It had me hanging on every word. Will there be a video about all of his work?

[@leftysheppey]

This is a beautiful and inspiring interview

[@anja8595]

Ah! : D Excellent!! I'm excited for more videos with Dr. Villani.

[@veni.vidi.reliqui7946]

I would love to see more from this amazing man!

[@pjlehtim]

What a warm and down to earth person. I have great respect to people like him!

[@per-axelskogsberg3861]

Great video! Excellent to hear him explain how it comes from within.

[@mikomurray1661]

Really enjoyed listening to Cédric, he seems like an interesting guy. Great interview!

[@RedBar3D]

What a wonderful human being.

[@AdamMPick]

The Abel Prize is the real Nobel Prize equivalent, gotta love his side remark. At least he is honest and wants it, too.

[@xaelee]

that was a great interview. questions and responses both!

[@DuncanRossCameron]

This is a lovely interview.

[@Cyrusislikeawsome]

He's so cool!

[@Jordan-zk2wd]

Awesome! This guy is uber cool, love his style

[@genevievebrusie6754]

what an incredible interview

[@cyrilpujol2047]

Oui, Villani dans Numberphile !!!

[@unvergebeneid]

Great of the guy to take the time to shoot the video when he was basically already on his way to a steampunk convention! :)

[@JoeyFaller]

What a pure soul. I love his comment about the Riemann hypothesis

[@peppybocan]

This is one of a kind video. Should be stored in vault and preserved for the next generations.

[@ashishc2007]

A beautiful mind... Thank you for this interview..