'I loved every minute of it, however hard it had been'

[TacomaNick]

Intellectually, I didn't understand a thing. Emotionally, I understood everything. Bravo.

[lucanina]

me after doing the first assignment of calculus 1:

[sehaj]

He is Andrew Wiles, the mathematician. He is 70 now. He proved Fermat's Last Theorem.

[vjm]

Much needed context. I will try my hardest to simplify this:
This story is about how one dude, Andrew Wiles (and a friend) managed to solve a proof "Fermat's Last Theorem" for x^n + y^n = z^n ; n>2 where no matter what you put in for n, the answer will NEVER EVER be whole numbers. THIS is his explanation of how he felt after he (and a friend) managed to solve this proof to PROVE that indeed any number greater than 2 for n will NEVER be a whole number.
Andrew Wiles was working on a separate proof ("Taniyama-Shemura Conjecture") where through math stuff, if you prove this proof, you'll get the Fermat's Last Theorem proven as a freebee. It took Andrew 7 years working on this alone, until one day he figured it out, and published it for peer review. Thing is, Andrew made one small mistake, and was embarrassed as a result.
So for another year after (now working with his friend), he managed to suddenly FIX the mistake he made, and also proving Taniyama-Shemura Conjecture! Thus through its mathematical relationship, he also proved that, indeed, Fermat's Last Theorem IS correct, and there is NO number you could put in n that'll give whole numbers as answers when n>2.

With that being said: I think it's awe-inspiring what Andrew Wiles did. When you're working damn hard on something, slaving away, and it just beats you down for you to come and beat it...only for it to throw one final haymaker and knock you out...only for you to beat the count and stand up to dominate it.
To me: This (romantically) taps in to something about humanity which I believe is utterly inspiring and beautiful. That we, all of us, just won't give up and despite the odds, still win. Andrew Wiles did it. He succeeded....and in a selfish way...we ALL succeed.

[Elijahwaija]

This man motivated me to retry my failed maths GCSE’s. I still failed again, but thanks for the motivation dude

[StormForthcoming]

Idk who the hell this dude is but I’m so proud of him

[Tigs]

The emotion he conveys when describing his epiphany is breathtaking.

[allusionsxp]

I can only dream of having this kind of love for something, a passion. That is what makes life truly enjoyable and the struggle a pleasure.

[danielfleming]

The most important moment of my “working life”. A good man who knows what’s important in life.

[Lorihian]

People like this are real celebrities.

[joegrist]

The fact that he’s grateful for doing something great, realizing the magnitude of it, and being glad he experienced that in one’s only chance on this planet. That’s something wonderful.

[jamesticknor]

What makes me smile is how this was filmed in multiple locations, but he keeps the same level of joy when talking about this.

[avatar]

Me when after countless attempts to pull the door, I finally realize there is a sign that says "push"

[zzye]

I did a presentation on this for my senior undergrad project. He proved there are no integer solutions n to the equation x^n + y^n = z^n for n >= 3, which had been unproven for over 300 years. The theory is called Fermat’s last theorem, and the man who proved it is Andrew Wiles. He proved it using what seemed to be an unrelated area of mathematics (properties of elliptic curves). The proof is over 100 pages long and I have spent hours if not days staring at it and most of it still goes over my head. The man is a genius. What amazes me so much about Fermat’s Last Theorem is that for n = 1 and 2, it is known and understood by most that an infinite set of solutions x, y, z exists (we all learned the Pythagorean theorem in middle school), but as soon as n is greater than 2, solutions cease. Crazy stuff… this is considered to be one of the if not the most famous proof in mathematics history.

[fintonstack]

This is from a BBC documentary, and I can tell you as a former BBC employee this piece is highly thought of within the Corporation, in terms of the story itself, and the film’s format/execution. It’s a beautiful and moving film, from Horizon circa 1995, initially tx’d on BBC2 I believe. It’s marvelous.

[Draxis]

This man solved, with indescribable geniality, a process that was long thought to have no proof. Which is Fermat's Last Theorem.
So many mathematicians who previously worked on it discouraged this man's work, but he was unshaken by this. It is hard to see a MATHEMATICIAN, of all people, getting emotional as he remembers it. The paper he published had errors that were challenged upon, but nevertheless he changed it and the answer still lied in Truth.
Like Fermat or Gauss, he became one of the greatest mathematicians to have ever lived. And he still works to this day.

[cihant]

When this music starts playing, you know a breakthrough will be coming on the problem you are working on.

[SorFig]

I love this man's desk organization. Truly awesome achievement (solving Fermat's Theorem... Not the desk).

[harshSharmaaji]

If you explain something with this much enthusiasm and passion be it anything.. everyone who listens feels something that makes them respect you

[bharasiva]

"Out of the ashes". Beautiful. How can you not be romantic about mathematics?