The spectacular proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem not only answered a famous open question in mathematics, it also introduced a powerful new technique (“The Taylor-Wiles method”) for studying problems in arithmetic. The aim of this talk is to give an overview of developments in the field since then, but also to address the larger context of what (my part) of the Langlands program is really all about and what problems it hopes to solve. The audience for this talk is decidedly supposed to be first year graduate students and mathematicians with no background in either number theory or algebraic geometry.

Zoom id 932 5967 2660