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The gap in the proof

In 1993, Andrew Wiles announced a proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem, a problem more than 350 years old, and then a reviewer found a gap. Research and a book billed as a bestseller suggest that struggle and stepping away can both help, and show where that evidence stops.

Major #21: MathematicsThe story: Andrew Wiles (1990s). The book: A Mind for Numbers by Barbara Oakley.

About 8 minutes

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In this lesson

  • The gap in the proof
  • One last look
  • What the research says
  • The book: A Mind for Numbers
  • What the evidence says about the book
  • Where this comes from
  • Try it today
  • 4 questions to check yourself

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