Andrew Wiles solves 300-year-old math equation, wins the Abel Prize

The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters announced on March 15 that the Abel Prize for 2016 was awarded to Sir Andrew J. Wiles from the University of Oxford, “for his stunning proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem by way of the modularity conjecture for semistable elliptic curves, opening a new era in number theory.”

Fermat's Last Theorem is an equation that was first modeled by French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the year 1637. The equation states that “there cannot be any positive whole numbers x,y and z such that xⁿ + yⁿ = zⁿ, if n is greater than 2.” No mathematician was able to prove this theorem for three centuries, and over time, it earned a reputation one of the most long-standing problems in the history of mathematics. In 1994, however, Wiles announced that he had successfully proved the theorem, which made him an internationally known figure.

Wiles learnt about the theorem in 1963 when he was a ten-year-old boy. He was intrigued by the problem and set upon a quest to resolve it. As the Abel Committee put it, “Wiles’ proof was not only the high point of his career – and an epochal moment for mathematics – but also the culmination of a remarkable personal journey that began three decades earlier.” Reacting to the news of winning the prize, Wiles said, "It is a tremendous honor ... Fermat's equation was my passion from an early age, and solving it gave me an overwhelming sense of fulfillment.”

Wiles, now 62, will receive the prize along with 6 million Norwegian Krone (US$700,000) on May 24 from H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon at an award ceremony at Oslo.

Congratulations to Andrew Wiles!