$7,000,000 Offered for Math Solutions See If You Can Solve These Problems Clay Math Foundation May 24, 2000 $7 Mil. Offered for Math Solutions By The Associated Press PARIS (AP) If square-root signs and algebraic theorems never looked appealing before, consider this: A group of the world's top mathematicians is offering $7 million for solutions to some of the world's hardest equations See If You Can Solve These Problems After puzzling for years over seven unsolved math problems Riemann Hypothesis , the Poincare Conjecture the Hodge Conjecture , the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture Navier-Stokes Equations , the Yang-Mills Theory and the P versus NP Problem . The Riemann Hypothesis the oldest and best-known of the seven dates to 1859 and was included on Hilbert's list in 1900. If solved, it could revolutionize encryption, which is used to secure information sent through a forum like the Internet. Consumer credit card numbers, medical records, financial records and Internet shopping could be made safer from Cyber-snoops as a result, experts say. Cracking the Navier-Stokes Equations which deal with turbulence, hydrodynamics and fluid flow could help build better airplanes and ships. Mathematicians from outside the Clay institute say the foundation may never have to part with its millions. However, the million-dollar challenge is sure to tempt bright young minds, said Keith Devlin, dean of science at St. Mary's College in Moraga, Calif., and author of several popular math books. Even if the seven equations, which Devlin calls the ``Mount Everest'' of math problems, remain unsolved, the research could produce important side effects. ``Only a few people actually manage to reach the summit of Mount Everest,'' said Devlin. ``But millions benefit from the survival equipment developed in pursuit of the lofty goal. So, too, with the big problems of mathematics.'' | |
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