Michael Atovigba's Mathematical Achievement
When this write-up first hit the web I thought to myself that we were in for another long haul of controversy and name-calling that will eventually end up on the tribal or religious divide. It hasn't got to that yet but we are edging slowly to that brink. I think I should express my views at this point using the lessons of history as my pillar for what perhaps we should be doing.
There was a mathematical puzzle called FERMAT'S LAST THEOREM which dated to 1637 and which our own internationally acclaimed Chike Obi claimed to have solved in the 1990s. Obi was a giant in the world of mathematics and nothing was fraudulent about him. He announced his achievement to the delight of worshipers like me but when it was subjected to the stringent scrutiny of his peers the verdict was that 'Obi's proof is a previously-known false proof of Fermat's Last Theorem and that it had already been solved in 1994 by Andrew Wiles and Richard Taylor'.
Obi was not a charlatan and was not afraid to open up to his peers who in spite of their unanimous agreement that Obi's take was not it, continued to respect him and seek his views in the special area of mathematics that was dear to him. The history of mathematics is replete with the incidence of intellectuals working independently arriving at the same conclusions – right or wrong – about the same hitherto unknown topic. Calculus is a famous example. Obi who was not stupid did not copy a proof that was already known to be false but followed the same intellectual path that others had passed through to get to his false results. That alone was an achievement that is worth celebrating. In mathematics, in my layman opinion, the logic and the rigor, and not the answer alone, determine the amount of worth that should be put on any work.
Coming to the issue on hand, Michael Atovigba's achievements are in my view that:
- 1. He has shown sufficient intellectual capability to tackle a difficult mathematical problem to the point where his peers will have something sufficiently challenging to chew on and come out with a verdict that will reject or uphold his efforts.
- 2. As a Nigerian, he has shifted focus at least temporarily from our being seen by the rest of the world as fraudsters and money launderers to something lofty up there beyond the reach of at least 95% of the world's population.
His failings in my humble view are that:
a. He did not seem to have consulted sufficiently with his peers or waited long enough for them to begin to invite him to international fora to expatiate on his writing before breaking the news to the world. A monumental thing like this takes years of scrutiny and discussions and is best brought to the attention of the world at a forum where his presentation will expose him to questions from other international mathematical giants. All he needs is to be funded to speak to his work overseas.
b. He is beginning to feel frustrated because a committee at the university 'has not allowed his application' for funds to the ETF to see the light of day. To me that is a tinge of persecution phobia which smells of lack of confidence in the worth of his work. If he is sure or hopeful as I am for him, then he should wait for the world because he seems to have done enough to catch the attention of the world so far.
c. His choice of publisher is a bit unfortunate. If a prize were waiting for me at the Clay Mathematics Institute for this type of work, my approach would have been to write to that institute to find out for sure, the journals acceptable to them for my work to win the prize. The Maxwell Science Organization or any organization that requires me to pay to be published will not appeal to me for such an important piece of work that could be stolen by hustlers in academia. Choosing the Clay Institute will put them on the alert as to what is being done and will edge against claims of ownership if the issue ever arises.
d. Bringing GOD into this issue may be uncalled for. There is no doubt in my mind as to the unfathomable reach and power of God but when it gets to mathematics, its purity, logic, and abstractness are the only things that count. What happened to you was mere 'intuition' which could well be the intervention of God, but solving the problem does not have a parameter that represents Him. Archimedes in his bath, Newton under the apple tree, and Madame Curie in her laboratory, all had flashes of intuition that changed science forever. It could well be God at work, but you will never find it in their expert presentations to the world. Thank Him, worship Him, praise Him, but leave Him out of this.
He has done us proud though he is not yet there.
· Let us advice and support him with funds and ideas
· Let us not ask which part of Nigeria he comes from.
· Let us be moderate but honest in our commentaries.
· Let us not worry about his God.
Amiel Fagbulu
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