I like the romantic notion that he really did have a proof that everyone has since overlooked (cos he was a great big genius), but Simon Singh's book (which is fantastic) makes the point that he probably had a flawed proof along the lines of some of the later attempts.
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thecrapgatsby isn't listening LALALALALALA,
Wed 17 Aug 2011, 10:25,
archived)
I much prefer the idea that he was trolling everyoneI like to think that mathematicians back in them olden days weren't as po-faced and serious as we all believe and instead liked to arse around like the rest of us.
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boris the spider,
Wed 17 Aug 2011, 10:46,
archived)