Re: JSH: Headlines around the world

Wayne Brown <fwbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

jstevh@xxxxxxx wrote:
Let's just say for the sake of argument that mathematicians just came
out and acknowledged that through accidents of history and subtlety of
some difficult concepts an erroneous group of techniques became
dominant in number theory.

That news would make headlines around the world.

In a few math journals, maybe. No one else would care.

Try an experiment: Stop a few people on the street and ask who Andrew
Wiles is. You'll get blank stares. Explain that he's the guy who proved
Fermat's Last Theorem. You'll get more blank stares. Then try to explain
what Fermat's Last Theorem is. By that time they'll be walking away,
and if you persist, they'll tell you they don't have time to listen to
such silly gibberish.

When Andrew Wiles proved FLT, it was reported in the general press.

A retraction of not only that result but a hundred years of number
theory would also be reported in the general press.

(Mind, this is a hypothetical.)
--
"Memoirists like Frey and Augusten Burroughs belong to the long list of
those who should never have stopped using drugs. The drugs might have
made Frey more interesting, or they might have killed him. Either way,
American literature would have benefited." --John Dolan, www.exile.ru
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: JSH: Headlines around the world
    ... In a few math journals, ... You'll get more blank stares. ... it was reported in the general press. ... in fact that is the only time I can ever remember any math news ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: JSH: Headlines around the world
    ... You'll get more blank stares. ... When Andrew Wiles proved FLT, it was reported in the general press. ... I probably pay more attention to that sort of thing than many ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Implementable Set Theory and Consistency of ZFC
    ... of opinion. ... That's a simple fact about the meaning of "follows from" - when ... those who should never have stopped using drugs. ... made Frey more interesting, or they might have killed him. ...
    (sci.math)
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