4 ms·
Wiles was weird at the time. Math is done in public, he just really wanted to be the one to have the final valid proof of Fermat's Last Theorem.
by JCzynski 10y ago
Wiles was weird at the time. Math is done in public, he just really wanted to be the one to have the final valid proof of Fermat's Last Theorem.
- jacobolus 10y agoSaying you’re working on FLT in the late 20th century is a good way to make everyone think you’ve gone nuts and are wasting your time. It makes some sense to make sure you have something solid before you mention it.
- bonzini 10y agoTechnically he was working on the Taniyama conjecture (now known as the modularity theorem), not on Fermat's last theorem.
- digler999 10y agoor conversely, if they believe you, they could try to sniff your approach and take the credit for it. given the fame of FLT I dont blame him for doing it undercover.