Travelling Salesman (2012): a film review by Mark R. Leeper.

  ‘Travelling Salesman’ features four mathematicians and a government representative sitting in a room, discussing what should be done with their proof that P = NP, along with the underlying algorithm. They debate whether it should be publicly released, handed over to the government or licensed to corporations.

While the mathematical concepts presented aren’t always accurate as the filmmakers did not consult with mathematical experts, the core ideas can be related to many discoveries. There are explicit references to Los Alamos. Much of the dialogue aims to help the government representative and, by extension, the audience,  grasp the implications of their discovery rather than delving into the morality of various potential decisions.

This isn’t a movie that necessitates a large viewing format and we watched it via streaming on Vimeo. The conclusion, however, is a bit disappointing. It seems the filmmakers did not fully explore the ramifications of their central premise. A similar issue is present in the conclusion of ‘Emergence’.

(Note: The title uses a double ‘l’ and omits the definite article.)

Released theatrically on 16 June 2012. Rating: +2 (-4 to +4) or 7/10.

(c) Mark R. Leeper 2023