Century-Old Math Problem Solved: Proving the Irrationality of ζ(3)
2025-01-09
This article recounts the legendary story of mathematician Roger Apéry's 1978 proof that ζ(3) (the Riemann zeta function at 3) is irrational. His proof was met with skepticism and even caused chaos at the conference where it was presented. However, Apéry was ultimately proven correct. For years, mathematicians struggled to expand Apéry's method with little progress. Recently, Calegari, Dimitrov, and Tang developed a more powerful method, proving the irrationality of a series of zeta-like values, including ζ(3), solving a decades-old problem. This breakthrough lies not only in its result but also in the generality of its approach, providing new tools for future irrationality proofs.
Math
irrational numbers