Maths on the Move

A very old problem turns 30!


Listen Later

"I think I'll stop here." This is how, on 23rd June 1993, Andrew Wiles ended his series of lectures at the Isaac Newton Institute (INI), our neighbour here at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences. The applause, so witnesses report, was thunderous. Wiles had just announced a proof that had eluded mathematicians for over 350 years: the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem.

Wiles' announcement, 30 years ago today, was a thrilling moment in mathematical history. But Fermat's Last Theorem is not just the story of one person. Jack Thorne, who works on new mathematics that builds on Wiles' proof, told us that it is actually a story of people talking to each other over a period of centuries.

To celebrate 30 years since that exciting moment, we were lucky enough to speak with Andrew Wiles and Jack Thorne, and also to Tom Körner, who was there the day Wiles announced the proof.

 

This is a special joint episode with the INI's Living Proof podcast, made in collaboration with our friend Dan Aspel, from the INI.

You can find out more about Fermat's Last Theorem in the article that accompanies this podcast, and in this collection of further reading.

 

This podcast was produced as part of our collaboration with the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences (INI) – you can find all the content from the collaboration here.

The INI is an international research centre and our neighbour here on the University of Cambridge's maths campus. It attracts leading mathematical scientists from all over the world, and is open to all. Visit www.newton.ac.uk to find out more.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Maths on the MoveBy plus.maths.org

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

7 ratings


More shows like Maths on the Move

View all
Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

Nature Podcast

752 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

398 Listeners

More or Less: Behind the Stats by BBC Radio 4

More or Less: Behind the Stats

898 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

248 Listeners

No Such Thing As A Fish by No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As A Fish

4,850 Listeners

The Quanta Podcast by Quanta Magazine

The Quanta Podcast

497 Listeners

THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST by ADAM BUXTON

THE ADAM BUXTON PODCAST

1,310 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

823 Listeners

Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas by Sean Carroll | Wondery

Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

4,136 Listeners

Google DeepMind: The Podcast by Hannah Fry

Google DeepMind: The Podcast

198 Listeners

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford by Pushkin Industries

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

5,115 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

12,854 Listeners

The Joy of Why by Steven Strogatz, Janna Levin and Quanta Magazine

The Joy of Why

502 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics

3,271 Listeners

The Rest Is Classified by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Classified

969 Listeners