The Fields Institute Turns Twenty-Five 170725 Final book with covers | Page 89

Early Days and Near Mishaps
67
the Institute for its use. The garbage bins for the bookstore
were unfortunately located immediately on the other side of
the wall, and packing peanuts from the bins would blow onto
the grass behind the Institute. As George could not convince
the University of Toronto cleaning staff to do anything about
this, one day he brought a vacuum cleaner from home, plugged
it in on the back patio and proceeded to vacuum the back lawn.
The model theory program in 1996–97 was a smashing
success that people in our field continue to remember to
this day. Here is one representative remark that highlighted
the vision of the Institute both literally and figuratively.
A colleague from Paris, shortly after arriving said this is
fantastic—anything I want to know and anyone I want to talk
with—I just walk out of my office and take a look around!
I am sure that many people have said something about
Andrew Wiles’ lecture; let me add a couple of personal
remarks. I attended with a group of people including a friend
from the economics department, Karen. She was quite taken
by the event and said it felt like a rock concert. I was just
praying that this wouldn’t set mathematics and the Fields
Institute back twenty years! When Wiles began speaking, in
Latin, for a good 45 seconds, I was sure all hope was lost. He
then gave a comedic pause, and said: “For those who don’t
speak Latin ...” and he read Fermat’s margin note. The rest
was brilliant and brought the house down. Afterwards, at the
reception at Fields, most mathematicians were either too shy
or too intimidated to talk with Wiles. I looked over and who
was talking to Wiles? My friend Karen! She asked “How often
do you get to talk with a rock star?”
I am sure that Manfred Kolster can provide more details
about this, but the fact that Wiles gave his lecture at Fields
at all is a wonderful story. When the number theory program
ran at Waterloo, Wiles was in the middle of figuring out his
proof of Fermats last theorem, and he was supposed to give a