Travelling Salesman

Travelling Salesman is a 2012 intellectual thriller film about four mathematicians solving 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 mathematical problems that are thought to be hard; 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, this would allow access to private data like personal correspondence, bank accounts and, possibly, government secrets. The story is written and directed by Timothy Lanzone and premiered at the International House in Philadelphia on Saturday, June 16. After screenings in 8 countries, spanning 4 continents, including screenings at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Cambridge, the film was released globally on September 10, 2013.