The Ghost Who Solved a Theorem
SMRTR summary
Mathematician Robert Thomason spent three years stuck on a major unsolved problem in algebraic K-theory. Then, 94 days after his close friend Thomas Trobaugh died by suicide, Thomason dreamed of Trobaugh suggesting an approach he'd already dismissed. Re-examining it revealed a breakthrough, producing a landmark 189-page paper credited to both men.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Hacker News.
Read the original article