Picture Summary
Travelling Salesman is an intellectual thriller about four mathematicians hired by the U.S. government to solve the most elusive problem in computer science history -- P VS. NP. The four have jointly created a "system" which could be the next major advancement for our civilization or destroy the fabric of humanity.
The solution's immediate use would exist within computer science. However, its application would soon extend to countless other disciplines. For example, by utilizing the solution to P vs. NP, a hacker can crack advanced encryption codes within seconds--a task that now takes weeks, months, or even years. He could break into La Guardia's air traffic control or China's communication grid. But the mathematical algorithm would also serve as the basis for accelerated biological research, curing diseases such as AIDS and cancer.
We begin the film with the four waiting at a secret location to meet with a top official of the United States Department of Defense. The group discusses the global implications of their solution and they agree that they must be extremely responsible with who they allow to control their discovery.
The silver-tongued DoD agent soon arrives and presents them each with an offer of 10 million dollars in exchange for their portion of the algorithmic solution. He attempts to deftly address their concerns and sway the opinions of the four.
In the end, only one mathematician speaks out against selling the solution. In pleading his case, he is forced to reveal the dark truth about his portion of the algorithm. As the mathematicians are about to sign documents that will give the US government sole and private ownership of their solution, they wrestle with the moral dilemma of how this volatile discovery will be used. The math is real. The implications are real.
