Well, the word I have been hearing is that not only has he not proven it, but there are some very basic flaws in what he has written. This is after he gave a failed proof last year of a different major result. It is more sad than anything else. And he has been told by colleagues and friends to not make major announcements until someone else checks his results.
Atiyah was/is one of the great mathematical minds of the last century. The Atiyah-Singer Index Theorem is widely regarded as some of the deepest and most beautiful make of recent times. But, from what I am hearing, he is going a bit senile.
Atiyah was/is one of the great mathematical minds of the last century. The Atiyah-Singer Index Theorem is widely regarded as some of the deepest and most beautiful make of recent times. But, from what I am hearing, he is going a bit senile.
