Spacetime and the Geometry behind it

This is the Leonardo da Vinci Lecture given in Milan in March 2006. It is a survey on the concept of space-time over the last 3000 years: it starts with Euclidean geometry, discusses the contributions of Gauss and Riemannian geometry, presents the dynamic concept of space-time in Einstein’s general relativity, describes the importance of symmetries, and ends with Calabi-Yau manifolds and their importance in today’s string theories in the attempt for a unified theory of physics. Leonardo da Vinci Lecture held on March 28, 2006