[Human] Lanaguage translation

[Michael Hudson]

=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Fran=E7ois_Pinard?= <pinard at iro.umontreal.ca> writes:

> P.S. - It reminds me Donald Knuth's `Art of Computer Programming', vol I.
> The last sentence of the `Notes on the exercises', page xix, reads:
> 
>    3. [M50] Prove that when n is an integer, n > 2, the equation
>    x^n + y^n = z^n has no solution in positive integers x, y, z.
> 
> With an earlier explanation for "50":
> 
>    A research problem which (to the author's knowledge at the tie of writing)
>    has not been solved satisfactorily.  If the reader has found an answer to
>    this problem, he is urged to write it up for publication; furthermore, the
>    author of this book would appreciate hearing about the solution as soon as
>    possible (provided it is correct)!
> 
> I found that pretty humorous at the time, as at the time Knuth wrote this,
> there was an open contest, with a substantial money prize, to anyone who
> would bring a solution to this problem.  The prize was later withdrawn,
> a few years before a proof was found.  (So far that I heard about this.)

I heard that it's "M49" in the last printing :-).

I think Wiles did get the money, though.

Cheers,
Michael
(who has now learnt just enough enough algebraic geometry to have a
faint glimpse of how far from understanding his lack of understanding
of Wiles' proof he is...)

-- 
  And then the character-only displays went away (leading to
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