For the Love of Maths

I was thrilled to learn that one Nigerian Professor, Professor Enoch Opeyemi of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, has solved the 156-year-old Riemann Hypothesis. To put it in simple terms, this Hypothesis has to do with the distribution of prime numbers. Now for a more detailed explanation (http://www.jstor.org/stable/2323497?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents). 

However, at the International Conference on Mathematics and Computer Science in Vienna, Austria, this Professor declared he had solved it. 

The BBC and CNN took up the news, and as Nigerians, a warm glow was in our hearts. We were happy for one of our own and wanted to dance and jump for joy with him. Not only was there the prestige of being the first person to solve the problem that baffled the mathematical world for 156 years but there was also a massive financial award to go with it, a cool million US dollars. He said he had proved it to many of us when we remember our secondary school or A-level days. When we would get into arguments in mathematics, some in Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, Algebra, Chemistry, Physics, etc. … and we would go through the steps with our mates,

if x is equal to da, da, da

Then y would be this and that da, da, da…..

Therefore, consider this and that da, da, da

Hence, x will be be this da, da, da

Meaning da, da, da

Giving …… this and that

QED Quod Erat Demonstrandum 

Or if you wanted to be cocky …. Quite Easily Done.

Leaving the rest of the class to pour over your work in wonder, trying to find a mistake or trip you, and finally laughing with you and nodding their heads in agreement. So it would be that simple, wouldn’t it? All he needed to do was publish his paper for the world to scrutinise, inspect, analyse, dissect and study. But we are told that conditions must be fulfilled; he has to publish his solution in an “international repute” journal and then be accepted for two years within the mathematics community before it is even considered.

But it is not that easy, as many people claim to have solved RH in the past. And until today, none of them have stood the test of time. As of now, our Professor has yet to be able to satisfy the Clay Mathematics Institute (CMI) conditions, as it was said. According to their website, the problem remained “Unsolved” as of the 14th of December, 2015. http://www.claymath.org/millennium-...

Meanwhile, people in Nigeria are already pestering the Dear Prof for his millions. They are helping him spend the money he still needs to get.