#Number_Theory Sir Andrew John Wiles is a British mathematician renowned for proving [[Fermat's Last Theorem]], one of the most famous unsolved problems in mathematics. He was born on April 11, 1953, in Cambridge, England. Wiles studied mathematics at Oxford University and later completed his Ph.D. at Clare College, Cambridge. Wiles' fascination with Fermat's Last Theorem began when he encountered it as a young boy. In 1994, after years of intense research and secretive work, he announced a proof for the theorem during a lecture at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences. His proof was based on advanced mathematical concepts such as elliptic curves and modular forms. Wiles' groundbreaking achievement earned him numerous prestigious awards and honors, including the Abel Prize, the Shaw Prize in Mathematical Sciences, and the Royal Society's Copley Medal. He is also a fellow of the Royal Society and has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his contributions to mathematics. Apart from his work on Fermat's Last Theorem, Wiles has made significant contributions to other areas of number theory and algebraic geometry. He continues to inspire and influence future generations of mathematicians through his teaching and research at Princeton University, where he has been a professor since 1982. ### Andrew Wiles and Fermat's Last Theorem **Fermat's Last Theorem** states that there are no three positive integers aaa, bbb, and ccc that can satisfy the equation an+bn=cna^n + b^n = c^nan+bn=cn for any integer value of nnn greater than 2. The theorem was conjectured by Pierre de Fermat in 1637, but it remained unsolved for over 350 years. **Andrew Wiles**, a British mathematician, provided the proof for Fermat's Last Theorem in 1994. His proof, which was built upon the work of many other mathematicians and included developments in the field of elliptic curves and modular forms, was a landmark achievement in mathematics. ### Contributions and Context 1. **Initial Proof Attempt:** - Wiles first announced his proof in 1993, but a flaw was found in the initial version. He spent a year correcting it, and the revised proof was published in 1995. - The final proof was a result of Wiles's work on the Taniyama-Shimura-Weil conjecture, which connects elliptic curves and modular forms. 2. **Recognition and Impact:** - Wiles received numerous accolades for his proof, including the Abel Prize in 2016 and the Wolf Prize in Mathematics in 1995/6. - His proof is considered one of the most important mathematical achievements of the 20th century. ### André Weil André Weil's contributions were significant in different areas of mathematics, particularly in algebraic geometry and number theory. While he did not solve Fermat's Last Theorem, his work laid important groundwork in fields that are crucial to modern mathematics, including some concepts that were instrumental in the eventual proof of Fermat's Last Theorem. ### Summary - **[[André Weil]]**: Renowned for his work in algebraic geometry and number theory, but not the solver of Fermat's Last Theorem. - **Andrew Wiles**: The mathematician who provided the proof for Fermat's Last Theorem in 1994. For more information on Andrew Wiles and his proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, you can refer to: - Andrew Wiles' Biography - MacTutor History of Mathematics - [Fermat's Last Theorem - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermat%27s_Last_Theorem) And for André Weil: - [André Weil - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Weil) - # References ```dataview Table title as Title, authors as Authors where contains(subject, "Andrew Wiles") sort title, authors, modified ```