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How to build a ball as round as possible? Question opened by the brilliant mathematician Étienne Ghys in his “little history of the soccer ball” which should delight all fans… of geometric figures as well as football figures. What geometry of the round ball and why does it change everything?
What geometry of the round ball? And why this question has always plagued mathematicians and surveyors, long before the invention of football. Why is it so complicated to build a round balloon in the shape of a sphere, rather than a square balloon (although our current balloons are also cube-like)? And in what material for a better trajectory? Why is ballistics, friction or airflow essential for scoring goals? What would be the ideal soccer ball? So many questions that should delight fans of geometric figures as fans of football figures…
With the mathematician, permanent secretary of the Academy of Sciences Etienne Ghys. His work A brief history of the soccer ball has just been published by Éditions Odile Jacob.
Here are the references of the excerpts broadcast during the show
1 – Sékouba Child – “Sily National 2000” (Guinea)
2 – Gadji Celi – “Morocco 88” (Ivory Coast)
3 – Black So Man – “Burkina Faso” (Burkina Faso)
4 – Longue Longue – “Samuel Eto’o” (Cameroon)
5 – BlvckBurn – “Gboka” (Benin)
6 – Small Country – “Win win” (Cameroon)
7 – Felix the Faithful – “Leopards Whip And Whip Chan Champions 2016” (DRC)
8 – Franco & le T.P. O.K. Jazz – « F.C. 105 du Gabon » (R.D.C.)
9 – Marie Helen And Her Creols – “Séga Le Sport” (Reunion)
10 – Sky Solo – « CAN 2002 » (Mali)