Fermat claimed a proof too long to fit in a margin. What would a proof look like spread across a wall, beside a person? Compare two theorems with a 6′3″ person for scale.
1995 · ANNALS OF MATHEMATICS131 SHEETS / 129 PUBLISHED PAGESA COLLECTIVE PROOF≈ 15,000 PAGES · ESTIMATE
A. F. King · 6′3″
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The entire proof
A. F. King · 6′3″
About 15,000 pages, shown schematically. This is not the text of the proof and does not zoom in.
150 × 100 A4 SHEETS
Illustrative scale: edge-to-edge A4 sheets beside a person who is 6′3″ (1.91 m). The first wall would be roughly 12 × 8 feet; the second, roughly 103 × 97 feet.