Charles Kenney, Rutgers University

Abstract

In 1878, Arthur Cayley asked the London Mathematical Society for a proof of the four colour theorem: that any map drawn on a simply connected surface can be coloured with 4 or fewer colours so that no two adjacent regions receive the same colour. A year later in 1879, Alfred Kempe published a famous solution (attempt) to the problem Cayley had publicized, only to have a mistake pointed-out by Percy Heawood in 1890. I will discuss Kempe's (attempted) proof and, time permitting, Heawood's refutation.