The Man Who Knew Infinity Page #2

You know, he single-handedly reformed

the entire Tripos examination system.

Turned over hundreds of years of history.

He's your man.

Trinity, eh?

Kings, prime ministers.

Isaac Newton. Byron.

Now perhaps even you.

(SIR FRANCIS CHUCKLES)

(BELL TOLLING)

Hmm.

Trouble on the Continent?

There will be.

We beat the Frogs by a goal at Twickenham.

I meant in the Balkans.

Ah, the Balkans.

You've got one

there seems particularly well traveled.

MAN:
Do you think it's another hoax?

HARDY:
Hmm.

"I beg to introduce myself

as a clerk in the Accounts Department."

- What this time?

- Quite impressive, really.

Someone's gone to a lot of trouble.

A Hindu clerk!

And who claims he can give meaning

to the negative values

of the gamma function.

- Littlewood?

- Without doubt.

(SCOFFS)

You know, Littlewood,

this year alone,

I've received correspondence

from those who profess

to prove the

prophetic wisdom of the Pyramids,

the revelations of the Elders of Zion,

and the cryptograms,

which Bacon supposedly buried

within the plays

of the so-called Shakespeare.

But a letter from

an ill-educated Indian clerk in Madras,

challenging assertions

I made in the tracts series,

really takes the biscuit.

Well, I have to say,

I've made similar assertions myself.

So you admit it?

But this was three years ago.

No, no, no. I'm talking about the letter.

Bloody brilliant, I thought.

I don't know where you got the postmark.

Almost had me fooled.

(STUTTERING) I simply don't know

what you're talking about.

Oh, come on. I'm not a complete idiot.

I don't know how to get this

into your thick skull,

but whatever it is you're talking about,

I'm simply not involved.

Play.

Sir.

You've missed Hall.

Not hungry.

(SIGHS)

I tell you,

there is a war coming, no doubt about it.

Because we are being

led like mindless, spineless sheep

and no one bothers to question any of it.

It's coming, all right. You can smell it.

You're as paranoid as Hardy.

(SCOFFS) With all due respect, Bertie,

you couldn't hold a candle.

Littlewood, could I have a word?

Yes, of course.

LITTLEWOOD:
Integrals.

Infinite series.

God knows what else.

Oh, excuse me.

I always forget

you don't believe in a supreme being.

Right.

If this chap turns out to be genuine, you

might have to reconsider.

He must be genuine.

Who would have

the imagination to invent all that?

Well, I'm rather

flattered you thought I did.

(LAUGHS)

These two infinite series

are the more intriguing.

Yeah. They defeated me completely.

I've never seen anything like them.

Well, it's deceptive.

I'll wager the hypergeometric series.

Ha! Our great Littlewood, stumped.

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