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Today I rewatched one of my favourite-ever documentaries - the 1996 BBC Horizon episode of Fermat's Last Theorem which recounts the marvelous, inspiring story of the English mathematician Andrew Wiles's proof of Fermat's Last Theorem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FnXgprKgSE
What I get from this program is a sense of how Andrew Wiles worked during the seven years of total secrecy while he focused intensely on the problem.
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One of my all time favourite documentaries. So beautifully made. Your point about working while doing important projects is well taken. Freeman Dyson has said that working at IAS instead of at a univeristy might be a crutch instead of an advantage. Not enough outside stimulation. Reteaching the basis to freshmen every year might actually be important even to the best and the brightest. Feynman said something similar i think.
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