PC4 at Age 40

Abstract

This article is not a proof of the Poincaré conjecture but a discussion of the proof, its context, and some of the people who played a prominent role. It is a personal, anecdotal account. There may be omission or transpositions as these recollections are 40 years old and not supported by contemporaneous notes, but memories feel surprisingly fresh. I have not looked up old papers to check details of statements; this article is merely a download from my current mental state.