Professor wins $700k for solving 300-year-old math equation

By Sheena McKenzie, CNN

(CNN)It was a problem that had baffled mathematicians for centuries -- until British professor Andrew Wiles set his mind to it.

"There are no whole number solutions to the equation xⁿ + yⁿ = zⁿ when n is greater than 2."

Otherwise known as "Fermat's Last Theorem," this equation was first posed by French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in 1637, and had stumped the world's brightest minds for more than 300 years.

Full story: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/16/europe/fermats-last-theorem-solved-math-abel-prize/index.html

-- CNN 2016-03-18

British. Suppose he is English then. British institutional racism at its best Scotland for Scots. Wales for Welch. Ireland for Irish. But English British .

Wrong equation posted in this article. That n is the power of the three variables x,y and z.

Wrong equation posted in this article. That n is the power of the three variables x,y and z.

Thanks, fixed the OP. The article linked to is correct so something went awry in the copy / paste.

EDIT Looks like he cracked it in 1994, did he not tell anyone??

Wrong equation posted in this article. That n is the power of the three variables x,y and z.

Thanks, fixed the OP. The article linked to is correct so something went awry in the copy / paste.

EDIT Looks like he cracked it in 1994, did he not tell anyone??

20 year old news is what one comes to expect of CNN

EDIT to add -- my bad -- it was only now that he got the dosh

Edited March 18, 201610 yr by jpinx

and this week was awarded the hugely prestigious 2016 Abel Prize

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/16/europe/fermats-last-theorem-solved-math-abel-prize/index.html

Off-topic posts removed. Commenting on the sources of news, why it is posted and other comments will earn suspensions. If you do not wish to comment, you are under no obligation to do so, but the superfluous comments directed at the news team, or sources is not permitted.

Incorrect longthorn - it's English for English but British for Scots, Irish and Welsh (not Welsch)

British. Suppose he is English then. British institutional racism at its best Scotland for Scots. Wales for Welch. Ireland for Irish. But English British .

Institutional racism? Posters on here get worse by the day.

Why do you suppose he's English? What is Welch, a Shadows guitarist?

Ireland is not part of the British Commonwealth, Irish people are not British, they're Irish. Citizens of Northern Ireland are British though.

Perhaps our mathematician friend can solve the age-old problem of who is English and who is British?...

Not that anyone really cares, so I'll call back in 300 years :)

British. Suppose he is English then. British institutional racism at its best Scotland for Scots. Wales for Welch. Ireland for Irish. But English British .

Brought your baggage over with you then, did you?

...I would say he earned it....

...and if we factor in the number of years he spent on this problem I wonder how much he made per hour......

What is the solution?

What is the solution?

Free beer? Hang on... what was the problem again?

No solution, but a proof.

Edited March 18, 201610 yr by Morakot

What? 300 years to solve a math equation...I did not know mathematicians lived that long...

British. Suppose he is English then. British institutional racism at its best Scotland for Scots. Wales for Welch. Ireland for Irish. But English British .

What's your problem, sad because you didn't solve the equation, you seem to have issues, your comment has NOTHING to do with the op. Wish I could understand what the equation is all about.

British. Suppose he is English then. British institutional racism at its best Scotland for Scots. Wales for Welch. Ireland for Irish. But English British .

Institutional racism? Posters on here get worse by the day.

Why do you suppose he's English? What is Welch, a Shadows guitarist?

Ireland is not part of the British Commonwealth, Irish people are not British, they're Irish. Citizens of Northern Ireland are British though.

Almost right but not quite.

Citizens of NI are not British but UK (Britain & NI) citizens.

I suggest you read the book my Simon Singh.

Then try to find a proof that might fit into Fermat's footnotes space. Or proove there is no such compact proof, and hence prove Fermat was bragging and couldn't back it up.

That's the real remaining challenge.

There usually is a significant time gap between a scientific achievement and awards for same, because the achievement undergoes exhaustive testing by peers in the field.

British. Suppose he is English then. British institutional racism at its best Scotland for Scots. Wales for Welch. Ireland for Irish. But English British .

Institutional racism? Posters on here get worse by the day.

Why do you suppose he's English? What is Welch, a Shadows guitarist?

Ireland is not part of the British Commonwealth, Irish people are not British, they're Irish. Citizens of Northern Ireland are British though.

Almost right but not quite.

Citizens of NI are not British but UK (Britain & NI) citizens.

They are also Irish citizens.

WOW! what a brain, a 300 year old question. So,come on then clever clogs.What did come first,the chicken or the egg?

Perhaps our mathematician friend can solve the age-old problem of who is English and who is British?...

Not that anyone really cares, so I'll call back in 300 years

It's such a dinky place, don't you all know each other.

WOW! what a brain, a 300 year old question. So,come on then clever clogs.What did come first,the chicken or the egg?

neither. there must have been some sort of intermediate form that looked like both the chicken and the egg.

Okay, but what about Somchai's theorem?

If you give the Thai clerk 1,000 baht for a 150 baht purchase = you will get 350 baht change.

Wrong equation posted in this article. That n is the power of the three variables x,y and z.

Thanks, fixed the OP. The article linked to is correct so something went awry in the copy / paste.

EDIT Looks like he cracked it in 1994, did he not tell anyone??

He misplaced the back of the cigarette packet!

British. Suppose he is English then. British institutional racism at its best Scotland for Scots. Wales for Welch. Ireland for Irish. But English British .

I found the maths equation easier to *decipher* than your sentence!

*decipher* means figure out or solve

Okay, but what about Somchai's theorem?

If you give the Thai clerk 1,000 baht for a 150 baht purchase = you will get 350 baht change.

Nice 1 ! By far the best post here sofar, I laughed my socks off !

I am sure a Thai mathematician would have solved this years ago. They would just be too modest to announce it in a press release....

British. Suppose he is English then. British institutional racism at its best Scotland for Scots. Wales for Welch. Ireland for Irish. But English British .

I found the maths equation easier to *decipher* than your sentence!

*decipher* means figure out or solve

I belive the poster is referring to cases in the UK where people have flown the flag of St George in England and have been branded racists and have been instructed by the local councils to remove said flags