A brilliant mathematician, who is widely regarded as one of the leading experts in number theory, has claimed that he has solved Beal’s conjecture, one of the most tantalizing and elusive unsolved problems in mathematics. However, he also confesses that he has forgotten how he solved it and cannot reproduce his proof.
The mathematician is Terence Tao, a professor at UCLA and a recipient of the Fields Medal, the highest honor in mathematics. He says that he has been secretly working on Beal’s conjecture for the past five years, using a combination of analytic number theory, algebraic geometry, and harmonic analysis.
According to Tao, he found a proof last month, while he was on a vacation in New Zealand. He wrote down the proof on a piece of paper at a hotel room, and then went to enjoy the scenery at a nearby park. However, when he came back to the hotel room, he found that his paper had been thrown away by the cleaning staff. He asked the staff if they had seen it, but they said that they had no idea what he was talking about. He tried to remember the proof from memory, but he failed. He only remembers the main idea and some of the steps, but not the details and the calculations.
Tao says that he is devastated by his loss and that he hopes to find his paper or reconstruct his proof. He has contacted the American Mathematical Society, which administers the Beal Prize Problems, and informed them of his situation. He has asked them to reserve the prize for him until he can provide his proof.
The American Mathematical Society has not yet commented on Tao’s claim. However, some mathematicians have expressed skepticism and doubt about his story. They say that it is improbable that Tao could have solved such a hard problem without publishing any intermediate results or collaborating with other experts. They also say that it is strange that Tao did not take a photo of his paper or make a copy of his proof.
Tao understands the skepticism and says that he does not expect anyone to believe him without evidence. He is confident that he can prove his claim and that he will not give up until he does. He is still searching for his paper and trying to remember his proof. He hopes to find his solution soon and share it with the world.