Comment on Chit Chat 23

Peter Tong

Should Bob comes up with another proof of Fermat's last theorem, (even if it fits in the margin of his notebook,) he will not get a Field's medal. The reason has nothing to do with his being Chinese. Instead, it has much to do with his being too old. (Bob, I am assuming you are about my age.) Besides being given only once every four years, the Field's medal is only given to mathematician under the age of 40.

So, Andrew Wiles did not get a Field's medal for his work either.Instead, they coined a special medal for him. In case you wonder how I knew all this trivia, it is all in my latest Prineton Alumni Magazine.