Let’s face it: for most of us, math is, and always has been, one of the most hated subjects in school. We’ve never been able to see any beauty in all that number manipulation and complex equations. However, there are movies that have fascinated us with a deep focus on various aspects of mathematics, statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. What if math isn’t just about memorizing facts? Can you imagine what would happen if you approached the subject in a totally different way? What if math actually played a key factor in some of your favorite movies?

Let’s have a look at some of the most popular movies with math in them that will make you see the hidden beauty of mathematics.

 

 

1. Beautiful Mind 

This is one of the most popular movies about mathematicians ever made. The story centers around John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who accepts secret cryptography work, but his life turns into a living nightmare because nothing is as it seems. In college, the genius from West Virginia hopes to come up with an idea that will set him apart from his peers. 

Whether you’re only a high-school student struggling with a research paper, without any insight into these complex math topics or a cryptography enthusiast interested in frequency analysis, you will fall in love with math all over again. This movie puts together the beauty of cryptography, game theory, statistics and two-way tables into a complex story of war and survival. Well, if after watching the movie you are surprised that mathematics is a very cool science, and now you are interested in learning it, you can find two way tables answers that will ease this process. A Beautiful Mind is a simply astonishing story about a brilliant man and his struggles and triumph over common mental health disorders.

2. The Man Who Knew Infinity

The story revolves around Ramanujan, a young Indian math genius who grew up in poverty in Madras, India. After developing an intense interest in mathematics, he creates his own original theories. He decides to send some of his work to British mathematics professor Dr. Hardy, who instantly recognizes Ramanujan’s brilliance and invites him to study at Cambridge University. As a result, Ramanujan gets to share his knowledge with the world. 

The Man Who Knew Infinity is a story about brilliance and courage, showing struggles for equality, enduring racism, war, illness, and being so far from home.

3. 21

It’s well known that the odds are stacked against the house, and people play the games for the rush, not the payout. If somebody devised a system that used simple math to give blackjack players an edge over the dealer, how exciting would it be?

21 is based on a true story about a genius, using his profound math skills to beat the blackjack tables of Las Vegas. In this movie, Newton’s method and Fibonacci numbers are explored through the eyes of six students and their professor. Morally corrupt math professor Micky, from MIT, attempts to cash in at the blackjack table by using codes, hand gestures, and numbers.

4. Moneyball

In his youth, Billy Beane was hailed by scouts as the near-perfect baseball player. The Mets offered him a scholarship, but he chose to give it up and join right out of high school. Despite a brief period of success, Billy failed to live up to everyone’s expectations. Rather than retiring from baseball, he switched to the management side and became Oakland Athletics’ General Manager.

Using predictive modeling techniques, Oakland Athletics General Manager Peter Brand aims to challenge old-school selection methods.

5. Pi

This is a one of a kind math movie about a brilliant mathematician named Max who suffers from paranoia. As he searches for patterns in the Stock market, he also discovers universal patterns in nature. Despite this, hallucinations continue to hinder his progress, making it harder to distinguish between reality and illusion. The story of an obsessed mathematician and what he finds hidden in numbers is filled with madness, mysticism, and revelation. The way you think about math, science, and the Universe will change after watching Pi.

Conclusion

Whether we like math or not, all these films are about to change your perspective and expose you to the beauty of math and science. Sometimes, mathematics is a fun game to play. Other times, mathematics is a great game to watch. All in all, these movies show us that math is the language of the Universe, showing you the hidden order within the everyday chaos.