Some guy in China with no college education comes up with a new way to verify Carmichael numbers.
Beijing (CNN)A Chinesemigrant worker with no college degree has found a solution to a complex math problem -- in what appears to be a real life version of the Oscar-winning movie "Good Will Hunting."Yu Jianchun, who works for a parcel delivery company, said he'd always had a passion for numbers and has created an alternative method to verify Carmichael numbers.
His solution amazed academics, who said his proof was much more efficient than the traditional one.
"It was a very imaginative solution," said Cai Tianxin, a math professor at Zhejiang University.
"He has never received any systematic training in number theory nor taken advanced math classes. All he has is an instinct and an extreme sensitivity to numbers."
Carmichael numbers are sometimes described as "pseudo primes" -- they complicate the task of determining true prime numbers, which are dividable only by 1 and itself. They play an important role in computer science and information security.
Yu worked on his proof during his free time while building a new home in his village last year.
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http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/17/asia/c...inkId=26655547