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One of the most important unsolved problems in mathematics may have been solved, retired mathematician Michael Atiyah is set to claim on Monday. In a talk at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum in Germany, Atiyah will present what he refers to as a "simple proof" of the Riemann hypothesis, a problem which has eluded mathematicians for almost 160 years.
Born in 1929, Atiyah is one of the UK's most eminent mathematical figures, having received the two awards often referred to as the Nobel prizes of mathematics, the Fields medal and the Abel Prize. He also, at various times, served as president of the London Mathematical Society, the Royal Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
If a solution to the Riemann hypothesis is confirmed, it would be big news. Among other things, the hypothesis is intimately connected to the distribution of prime numbers, those indivisible by any whole number other than themselves and one. If the hypothesis is proven to be correct, mathematicians would be armed with a map to the location of all such prime numbers, a breakthrough with far-reaching repercussions in the field.
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[RELATED]:
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday September 23 2018, @02:34PM (1 child)
This is exciting news! But the get'em'psyched release is just promo. Please link us when the real proof is released! It's not so bad to get a sneak preview of sorts - he's leveraging Dirac? ooooh juicy! - but this phase is the gossip phase and we soylentils prefer the protinaceous Real Deal.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 24 2018, @10:19AM
*proteinaceous
Thank you for this word, which is new to me. I love it!