> Despite mathematics being a universal language, culture clash could be getting in the way, says Kim. “In Japan people are pretty used to long, technical discussions by the lecturer that require a lot of concentration,” he says. “In America or England we expect much more interaction, pointed questions coming from the audience, at least some level of heated debate.”

> There is a growing consensus that Mochizuki has over-engineered his work, contributing to the confusion. “Most of the large theories that he builds are not essential. He could have written things in a much more streamlined way,” says Voloch.

This is a problem in a lot of technical fields but also in writing in general. It's always easier to write 1000 words to say something than 100 to say it well.