Andrew Wiles

"I hope that seeing the excitement of solving this problem will make young mathematicians realize that there are lots and lots of other problems in mathematics which are going to be just as challenging…"

"Fermat was my childhood passion."

"I loved doing problems in school. I'd take them home and make up new ones of my own."

"I had this rare privilege of being able to pursue in my adult life, what had been my childhood dream."

"Here was a problem, that I, a ten year old, could understand and I knew from that moment that I would never let it go. I had to solve it."

"I grew up in Cambridge in England, and my love of mathematics dates from those early childhood days."

"Certainly one thing that I've learned is that it is important to pick a problem based on how much you care about it."

"I know it's a rare privilege, but if one can really tackle something in adult life that means that much to you, then it's more rewarding than anything I can imagine."