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Fermat’s Last Theorem: The Math Problem That Obsessed Generations
Imagine a single sentence scribbled in the margin of an ancient book that drove mathematicians mad for over 350 years? That’s precisely what Pierre de Fermat, a 17th-century French mathematician, managed to do when he casually claimed to have solved a problem that no one else could crack. And so it became one of the most famous unsolved mathematical puzzles in history.
In his book, Fermat’s Last Theorem, Simon Singh takes us on an enthralling ride through this mathematical saga filled with obsession, setbacks, and ultimate victory.
The Puzzle That Started It All
Fermat’s Last Theorem sounds simple on the surface: there are no whole numbers x, y, z (greater than zero) that satisfy the equation
for any integer n > 2. Fermat wrote that he had a “truly marvelous proof” for this statement, but added, “this margin is too narrow to contain it.” Mathematicians spent centuries trying to find the proof Fermat supposedly had, but it remained elusive for almost three centuries. Hundreds of mathematicians dedicating their lives to chasing this ghost of a solution.
Fermat wrote that he had a “truly marvelous proof” for this statement, but added, “this margin is too narrow to contain it.” Mathematicians spent centuries trying…