Travelling Salesman (2012)

Directed by

Timothy Lanzone

Genre

thriller film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 20m

Rating

5.5 of 10 from 37 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

Four mathematicians solve the P versus NP problem, a breakthrough that could crack any encryption. The film follows them as they grapple with the moral and practical consequences of their discovery.

cerebraltenseslow-burnsuspensefulintellectualclaustrophobicdeliberateominous

What happens

Travelling Salesman is a 2012 intellectual thriller film about four mathematicians who solve the P versus NP problem, one of the most challenging mathematical problems in history. The title refers to the travelling salesman problem, an optimization problem that acts like a key to solving other difficult mathematical problems. It has been proven that a quick travelling salesman algorithm, if one exists, could be converted into quick algorithms for many other difficult tasks, such as factoring large numbers. Since many cryptographic schemes rely on the difficulty of factoring integers to protect their data, a quick solution would enable access to encrypted private data like personal correspondence, bank accounts and, possibly, government secrets. The story was written and directed by Timothy Lanzone and premiered at the International House in Philadelphia on June 16, 2012. After screenings in eight countries, spanning four continents, including screenings at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Cambridge, the film was released globally on September 10, 2013. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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