How Math's Most Famous Proof Nearly Broke

Re:How Math's Most Famous Proof Nearly Broke by impendia on Saturday May 30, 2015 @09:33AM (#9630108)

> How do you know if the proof is valid, or if they're just scratching each others' backs and pretending they're all brilliant?

(Professional mathematician here)

Such a conspiracy could never happen. Mathematicians are, in general, scrupulously honest to a fault. There are exceptions of course, but such a scam would need everybody's cooperation.

Moreover, if you have tenure then you would have no incentive to participate in such a fraud (even to the extent of keeping quiet about it). Once you get tenure you are basically working for pride and for the sheer joy of solving problems, and maintaining a big lie would do nothing for either.

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Re:How Math's Most Famous Proof Nearly Broke by Confusion on Saturday May 30, 2015 @01:21PM (#9630863)

I would like to both broaden and qualify that statement: scientists are, in general, scrupulously honest where it concerns their work, probably because their work is about 'truth'. Nevertheless, scientists are still people and many people lie and cheat when it suits them.

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