
Aone-hourbiographicaldocumentary,JuliaRobinsonandHilbert'sTenthProblemtellsthestoryofanimportantAmericanmathematicianagainstabackgroundofmathematicalideas.<br/> JuliaRobinson(1919–1985),apioneeramongAmericanwomeninmathematics,rosetoprominenceinafieldwhereoftenshewastheonlywoman.ShewasthefirstwomanelectedtothemathematicalsectionoftheNationalAcademyofSciences,andthefirstwomantobecomepresidentoftheAmericanMathematicalSociety.<br/> Herwork,andtheexcitingstoryofthepaththatledtothesolutionofHilbert'stenthproblemin1970,producedanunusualfriendshipbetweenRussianandAmericancolleaguesattheheightofthecoldwar.Inthisfilm,Robinson'smajorcontributiontothesolutionofH10triggersatourof20thcenturymathematicsthatmovesfromParisin1900,throughtheUnitedStates,totheSovietUnionandback.<br/> Followingthepassionatepursuitofanunsolvedproblembyseveralindividualsindifferentcountriesaddstotheemotionalintensityofthemathematicalquest.<br/> Thisfilmcoversimportanteventsinthehistoryofmodernmathematicswhileconveyingthemotivationsofmathematicians,andexploringtherelationshipbetweenmathematicalresearchandthedevelopmentofcomputers.Thekeyprotagonistsandadvisorstotheprojectarerecognizedasthemostprominentintheirfields.<br/> JuliaRobinson'sstory,andthepresenceofprominentwomeninmathematicsinthefilm,shouldinspireyoungwomentopursueeducationalopportunitiesandcareersinmathematics.