
A baffling proof of the ABC conjecture set off a bitter divide amongst mathematicians
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As a science journalist, there are some tales that you simply return to time and again. There may be local weather change, in fact – the most important story of our time. Then there are the large questions, resembling “what’s consciousness?” or “are we alone within the universe?”, and so forth. However one of many tales I merely can’t let go of is a mathematical argument that has been raging for over a decade. I name it “the proof that’s solely true in Japan”.
Let me…