Saturday, January 26, 2002
JSH: A test of ethics.
I mentioned many times that I was testing mathematicians. Over the years I've warned many times that I feared that mathematicians would act to block knowledge of an elementary proof of Fermat's Last Theorem from the rest of the world. Over the past few weeks I've gone to a lot of trouble to explain to you why there is not a valid mathematical objection left to the proof.
What I think is now clear, based on the proof Magidin posted yesterday that (v^2-v+1) is a unit in my ring (with the condition that f not equal 3), is that many of you understand why f is not a unit without needing my help.
Let me emphasize the implications of this.
The implication is that many of you were complicit in fraud. That is, you were perpetrating the fraud that there was an issue with the FLT proof, when there is not.
So, the entire newsgroup failed a simple test of ethics.
Today I'll post the proof that f is not a unit in my ring. You shouldn't be surprised if I draw on Magidin's work from yesterday as I've always made it a point to use what I learn on the newsgroup.
You see, I'm not lying about who I am. I'm an amateur mathematician who looked for an elementary proof of Fermat's Last Theorem for the thrill of it, fame, money, and to prove some points.
I've made many mistakes. I've faced a tremendous amount of difficulty both from the problem itself and many of you, but I succeeded in finding the proof despite that.
Yet, what is so disturbing about all of this, is the difficulties I face now because some of you are apparently completely unethical.
That Magidin would claim to not understand why f isn't a unit in my ring, when he demonstrably could have proven it himself, without my help is monumental. That you let him get away with it is incredible.
Why did so many of you support his position in posts, with the apparent intent of keeping other people from paying attention to my work?
And all the while you kept up a barrage of insults and accusations against my character.
I have tears in my eyes as I type this post. I just don't understand what could motivate people to act this way. And what? Did you hope to silence me? That was the only way you might succeed because the math is simple for people with the skills many of you have demonstrated that you have.
And nothing in my history should have given you the false hope that you would succeed.
What I think is now clear, based on the proof Magidin posted yesterday that (v^2-v+1) is a unit in my ring (with the condition that f not equal 3), is that many of you understand why f is not a unit without needing my help.
Let me emphasize the implications of this.
The implication is that many of you were complicit in fraud. That is, you were perpetrating the fraud that there was an issue with the FLT proof, when there is not.
So, the entire newsgroup failed a simple test of ethics.
Today I'll post the proof that f is not a unit in my ring. You shouldn't be surprised if I draw on Magidin's work from yesterday as I've always made it a point to use what I learn on the newsgroup.
You see, I'm not lying about who I am. I'm an amateur mathematician who looked for an elementary proof of Fermat's Last Theorem for the thrill of it, fame, money, and to prove some points.
I've made many mistakes. I've faced a tremendous amount of difficulty both from the problem itself and many of you, but I succeeded in finding the proof despite that.
Yet, what is so disturbing about all of this, is the difficulties I face now because some of you are apparently completely unethical.
That Magidin would claim to not understand why f isn't a unit in my ring, when he demonstrably could have proven it himself, without my help is monumental. That you let him get away with it is incredible.
Why did so many of you support his position in posts, with the apparent intent of keeping other people from paying attention to my work?
And all the while you kept up a barrage of insults and accusations against my character.
I have tears in my eyes as I type this post. I just don't understand what could motivate people to act this way. And what? Did you hope to silence me? That was the only way you might succeed because the math is simple for people with the skills many of you have demonstrated that you have.
And nothing in my history should have given you the false hope that you would succeed.
# posted by James Harris @ 09:30 
