Nigerian Scholar Solves 156-Year-Old Maths Hypothesis, Wins $1 Million Prize

A Nigerian scholar and lecturer at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Ekiti State, Dr. Opeyemi Enoch, has provided proof for the old Riemann Hypothesis, thereby solving a 156-year-old mathematical problem. According to ThisDay, a statement from the university on Sunday said Enoch’s presentation of the solution on Wednesday at the International Conference on Mathematics and Computer Science in Vienna, Austria, became more symbolic because it was on the exact day and month 156 years after the problem was brought to light by a German mathematician in 1859. The Riemann Zeta Hypothesis is one of the seven Millennium Problems set forth by the Clay Mathematics Institute with a million dollar reward for each solved problem for the past 16 years. Enoch has become the fourth scholar to resolve one of the seven Millennium Problems in Mathematics and was awarded $1 million for doing so. According to the statement, “Dr. Enoch first investigated and established the claims by Riemann. He went on to consider and correct the misconceptions that were communicated by mathematicians in past generations, thus paving the way for his solution and proof to be established. “He also showed how other problems of this kind can be formulated and obtained the matrix that Hilbert and Poly predicted will give these undiscovered solutions. He revealed how these solutions are applicable in cryptography, quantum information science and in quantum computers.” This is not the scholar’s first feat as he also once designed the prototype of a silo for peasant farmers and discovered a scientific technique for detecting and tracking someone on an evil mission. The Kogi State-born scholar had previously worked on mathematical models and structures for generating electricity from sound, thunder and oceanic bodies. Enoch has also succeeded in inventing methods by which oil pipelines can be protected from vandalism and is currently working on mathematical approaches to climate change.  

---

You might also like:

• Women You Should Know: Ayodeji Megbope
• Nigeria’s First female UK Military Academy Grad Vows to Inspire
• The Significance of Nigeria’s National Symbols
• Traditional Music and Dance Forms Across Nigeria

This article was first published on 16th November 2015

---

---

Comments (1)