Why A Clash Between Titans is Ripping Mathematics Apart
63K views · Jul 16, 2026 · Science & Technology
Comments · 155
@TuringApp · 2 months ago · pinned
Listen to 100s of Science Documentaries on Turing for Free. Checkout the App at <br>iOS: <a href="https://apps.apple.com/in/app/the-turing-app/id6752724106">https://apps.apple.com/in/app/the-turing-app/id6752724106 </a><br>Android: <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.theturingapp.turing&hl=en">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.theturingapp.turing&hl=en </a><br>or listen at <a href="https://theturingapp.com/">https://theturingapp.com</a>
5
@justneoh8253 · 1 month ago (edited)
My impression is that this work of Mochizuki belongs to what Wolfgang Pauli remarked as "That is not only not right; it is not even wrong"
44
@jamieoglethorpe · 2 months ago
This is something that has happened before in mathematics. I'm thinking of Zermelo's proof of the Well-Ordering Theorem using the Axiom of Choice, which was vehemently rejected by the mathematical establishment. He eventually spelt out the axioms he used in his proof. His response was that his was legitimate proof. Opponents were welcome to reject the specific axiom, but the proof stood.<br><br>It is the responsibility of the Japanese school to explain their formalism in a way that the mathematical community can understand, if only by illustrating how it can be used to prove familiar theorems. Presenting a dense paper using unfamiliar language without a path that those who are unfamiliar with it can follow. Mastering things like this can take years. Think of Riemann's geometry and tensor calculus before Einstein used them for General Relativity, which made them worth studying. Mastering GR clearly made it worthwhile to both mathematicians and physicists.
86
@sil1235 · 2 months ago (edited)
The video mentions formal verification, but it is already under way - sort of. Two separate Lean efforts are based in Japan: ZEN University’s LANA Project and a RIMS project led by Shinichi Mochizuki. The immediate task is making IUT’s definitions and disputed arguments precise enough to encode; neither has formalized the claimed abc proof. Full verification is the long-term goal.
22
@hiromichiw · 1 month ago
Mochizuki should work a lot harder in helping other mathematicians understand his theory.
50
@futureshockpod · 1 month ago
All math, so they say, has one tongue,<br>The same for the old and the young.<br>But truth, it appears,<br>Needs consensus of peers—<br>And sometimes the jury is hung.
12
@Tact-v8g · 1 month ago (edited)
It's not tearing math apart. Almost everyone is in agreement that the proof should be reworked, to make it digestible and not too confusing. As Gerd Faltings said, '... explain it better'
14
@numeristas · 3 weeks ago
Well said
@inazuma3gou · 1 month ago
Mathematicians: Mathematics is a universal language <br>Mochizuki: Hold my bear
32
@bernardfinucane2061 · 2 months ago
Great synopsis of a sticky problem.
1
@profskmehta · 2 months ago
Can’t imagine what is Mochizuki’s language. I hope eventually he will rewrite his proof in the standard functions and symbols. I am curious whether he uses any known result in his proof!
7
@mikeoffthebox · 2 months ago
Scholze and Stix make a very specific objection to Mochizuki's proof which is much shorter than the proof itself - surely this would be much more accessible to automated proof checking?
18
Up next
Why This NFL Legend Left Football to Teach Math at MIT
Turing · 189K views
Meet Winner of $3 Million Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics
Turing · 52K views
The π Formula That Took 73 Years to Prove
STEM in Motion by Gaurav · 101K views
Navier-Stokes is cracked by AI - Numberphile
Numberphile · 982K views
Why Peter Scholze is once in a Generation Mathematician
Turing · 978K views
The Homeless Teenager Who Invented AI
LedgerHQ · 24K views
Mathematicians Dubbed His Work "Evil". It Broke Mathematics
Turing · 80K views
21 Yr Old Disproves 4 Decades Old Belief in Computing
Turing · 287K views
He Publishes Rarely. When He does, It Is Groundbreaking
Turing · 351K views
Is math research over?
Dr. Trefor Bazett · 120K views
√7 is missing – and it took 2000 years to find the real reason why
Mathinity · 443K views
Man Creating "The Grand Unified Theory" of Mathematics
Turing · 119K views
Why This Is the Most Exciting Time to Be Human | Ken Ono, Axiom Math
EO · 702K views
Every Mathematics Problem That Still Has No Answer
Mr Space Explainer · 45K views
Meet Jacob Tsimerman, Winner of Fields Medal 2026, The Nobel of Math
Turing · 82K views
The 17-Year-Old Student Who Solved a Major Math Mystery
Quanta Magazine · 169K views
What Lies *Between* a Function and Its Derivative?
BriTheMathGuy · 165K views
From Child Prodigy to Winning Fields Medal, Nobel of Math
Turing · 840K views
The Integral That Changed Mathematics Forever
STEM in Motion by Gaurav · 91K views
The 15-Year-Old Who Discovered the Law of Primes
Physics Explained · 1.1M views