Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site watmath.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!csc From: csc@watmath.UUCP (Computer Sci Club) Newsgroups: net.math Subject: Re: "Proof" of Fermat's Last Theorem Message-ID: <10761@watmath.UUCP> Date: Tue, 8-Jan-85 11:39:00 EST Article-I.D.: watmath.10761 Posted: Tue Jan 8 11:39:00 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 9-Jan-85 02:05:48 EST References: <8197@watarts.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario Lines: 22 The announcement is not a hoax. The abstract was in fact submitted to the American Mathematical Society, and the paper is due to be submitted at the Annual Meeting. However, don't hold your breath waiting for this wonderful proof. This is not the first announcement of a "Proof" of Fermat's Last Theorem, and it probably won't be the last. It is not unusual for extraordinary claims to be made in the AMS abstracts. I am told that these talks are quite popular with "lots of professors there, giggling". People around here (University of Waterloo) are somewhat sceptical of the claims made. The claim that one case is impossible, while the other is nonexistent, seems strange (what is the difference). Also there is good reason to suppose that an elementary proof does not exist. I will try to get more details after the meeting. William Hughes