Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Calling All Number Theorists



Maybe time for a cold shower....
I almost feel dirty for doing this, but I’ve gone back now and read all the posts (5 of them) at Martin Shkreli’s blog (written I guess while he’s in prison at Ft. Dix). This started when Jordan Ellenberg of all people referenced the blog in a tweet because it contained a review of his book, “How Not to be Wrong”:

So please don’t think less of me, blame Ellenberg for my new interest. Reading the blog you would barely know it was written by the guy with the same arrogant/pompous/smugness-drenched face we got used to seeing on the nightly news. At least it’s more interestingly and intelligently written than I expected (…though yes, still with some of that arrogance/pompousness/smugness included for free).

Anyway, I mention it, not so much for the Ellenberg review, but because toward the end of his 8/12/18 post/blathering comes this bit:
I have been busy reading proprietary research and, of all things, working on math. I am particularly interested in algebraic number theory — if anyone out there is a or knows a professor in this field, I would love to compare notes. martin@thotpatrol.com is the best place to contact me.”

So, there you are… will one of you algebraic number theorists (who’s always wanted a prison pen-pal perhaps) please help the poor fellow out (I mean who knows, maybe he’s solved the Collatz conjecture in all that spare time)… just be sure to charge him appropriately (say $5,000 per note) for the assistance.

[Shkreli is, as I understand it, serving a 7-year sentence for fraud, and permanently banned from Twitter (not sure which he considers the graver punishment). Seven years might be just enough time to prove the Riemann Hypothesis...]


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