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Artwork for Reasonable Hope (Math)
Reasonable Hope (Math) · August 1 · 5 min

The Error in the Proof

After working in secret for seven years, Andrew Wiles announced a proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem—only to discover that it contained a serious gap. His return to the problem reminds us that great accomplishments include mistakes, discouragement, and the courage to try once more.

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After working in secret for seven years, Andrew Wiles announced a proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem—only to discover that it contained a serious gap. His return to the problem reminds us that great accomplishments include mistakes, discouragement, and the courage to try once more.