Word: ribet
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...mystery of mathematics. Known as Fermat's Last Theorem, it has baffled number experts for more than 350 years. A handful of solutions have appeared over the centuries -- the latest in 1988 -- and then been retracted upon discovery of a flaw. But, says University of California, Berkeley, mathematician Kenneth Ribet, "Wiles has a first-rate reputation in the subject. He is careful, and he is methodical; he does very, very good work . . . and he presented beautiful arguments." Within an hour, electronic mail hailing the achievement began streaking across the globe to universities and research centers...
Wiles' solution comes at the theorem in a different way. What he actually proved was an important part of another math puzzle, known in the trade as the Taniyama Conjecture, which deals with the equations that describe mathematical objects known as elliptic curves. Just six years ago, Berkeley's Ribet demonstrated that proving this conjecture was tantamount to proving Fermat's Last Theorem. "What is amazing about Wiles' proof," says Boston, "is that while it built on previous attempts, Andrew realized how to put all these complicated pieces together...
...mistake. His proof runs more than 200 pages, and he could present only the highlights in the Cambridge lecture. The final test will come in a few months, when Wiles circulates a complete, written version of the proof to others for careful checking. That will not be easy. Says Ribet: "Wiles' arguments are based on the most advanced, most elaborate mathematics that exist in this field. The number of mathematicians who can really fully understand the arguments would fit into a conference room...
| 1 |