Mathematical Developments in 1994 (UMAP)

The most significant mathematical development in 1994 occurred near the end of the year, when Andrew Wiles (Princeton University) presented a revised proof of Fermat's last theorem, a year and a half after his first announcement of a proof and almost a year after he admitted that the first proof contained a gap. Other mathematical developments and discoveries included further progress on another conjecture in number theory, the Goldbach conjecture; the revelation that the Intel Pentium computer chip makes numerical errors; the factoring of a 129-digit integer that had been set as a challenge problem; the first example of "molecular computing" to solve a mathematical problem; and an argument over whether a sphere-packing conjecture has been proved. In an unprecedented achievement, each of the six members of the U.S. team of high-school students participating in the International Mathematical Olympiad earned a perfect score in the competition.

Table of Contents:

INTRODUCTION

FERMAT'S LAST THEOREM

GOLDBACH'S CONJECTURE

BUG IN A COMPUTER CHIP

FACTORING SUCCESS

MOLECULAR COMPUTING

PACKING SPHERES

PERFECT SCORES

MILESTONES

REFERENCES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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