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Despite Poincaré’s belief in its truth, he was unable to prove the conjecture, and it became a significant focus of mathematical inquiry for over a century, particularly in three dimensions.
The Enigmatic Grigori Perelman
In 2002, a seemingly inconspicuous paper appeared online that radically changed the landscape of mathematics. Authored by Russian mathematician Grigori Perelman, affectionately known as Grisha, it contained a proof of the Poincaré Conjecture. Grisha's journey began in the Soviet Union, where he exhibited extraordinary talent at a young age. Educated at an elite high school in Saint Petersburg, his remarkable focus and unrivaled dedication toward mathematics earned him a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad at the age of 16.