Outside in: PAL Version

This is a video of a film that uses animation graphics to elucidate difficult mathematical concepts. It tackles the discovery, made by Steven Smale in 1957, that it is theoretically possible to turn a sphere inside out by means of smooth motion if self-intersection is allowed. With dialogue and exposition geared towards the non-mathematician, the book tackles Bill Thurston's method of flipping a sphere inside out. The technique uses corrugations or waves that can be applied to similar problems in any dimension. The film starts its explanation on the level of curves (one dimension lower than surfaces) and then progressively builds, based on what the viewer learns, to applying the concepts to a sphere. An illustrated supplement gives additional mathematical and historical background. The video is also available in PAL format at an increased price (#34.95, $49.95 and DM90.00).