The ABC Conjecture Proof That Only Japan Believes: A Decade-Long Mathematical Controversy
In 2012, Japanese mathematician Shinichi Mochizuki published a 500-page paper claiming to prove the 40-year-old ABC conjecture using his Inter-Universal Teichmüller theory (IUT). However, the proof's complexity and obscurity meant only a handful claimed to understand it. Years later, two German mathematicians found a fatal flaw, but Mochizuki and his supporters refused to concede. Mochizuki's paper was eventually published in a journal he edits, fueling intense debate. Recently, an American mathematician claims to have resolved the controversy, but this too remains unaccepted. This decade-long saga highlights the complexity of mathematical proof, the challenges of verification, and the inherent controversies within academia.