Prime numbers obsession

Zdzisław Pogoda

Antiquitates Mathematicae, Tome 5 (2011).

Résumé

The Riemann hypothesis is now probably the most famous unsolved hypothesis in mathematics. In the nineties of the twentieth century, after almost 350 years, the Great Fermat’s theorem has been proved. At the beginning of the XXI century finally surrendered the classic Poincaré hypothesis. Bravely holding up even Goldbach’s conjecture, but the significance of the Riemann hypothesis is probably greater intensity and specialists work on it. If the understanding of Fermat’s Last Theorem is enough elementary mathematical knowledge, in the case of the Riemann hypothesis is different. Without complex numbers, ranks and many more other concepts of higher mathematics it is difficult to grasp the meaning of this hypothesis. When and under what circumstances created? Why raise such a huge interest among mathematicians? What is its significance? Whose decision beyond the satisfaction of knowledge will give mathematics tangible benefits? And besides mathematics? These are important questions that are not so easy to answer without resorting to non-elementary mathematics. (From the review of the book by John Derbyshire).

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