Fermat's Last Theorem: Unlocking the Secret of an Ancient Mathematical ProblemOver three hundred years ago, a French scholar scribbled a simple theorem in the margin of a book. It would become the world's most baffling mathematical mystery. Simple, elegant, and utterly impossible to prove, Fermat's Last Theorem captured the imaginations of amateur and professional mathematicians for over three centuries. For some it became a wonderful passion. For others it was an obsession that led to deceit, intrigue, or insanity. In a volume filled with the clues, red herrings, and suspense of a mystery novel, Dr. Amir Aczel reveals the previously untold story of the people, the history, and the cultures that lie behind this scientific triumph. From formulas devised for the farmers of ancient Babylonia to the dramatic proof of Fermat's theorem in 1993, this extraordinary work takes us along on an exhilarating intellectual treasure hunt. Revealing the hidden mathematical order of the natural world in everything from stars to sunflowers, Fermat's Last Theorem brilliantly combines philosophy and hard science with investigative journalism. The result: a real-life detective story of the intellect, at once intriguing, thought-provoking, and impossible to put down. |
Other editions - View all
Fermat's Last Theorem: Unlocking the Secret of an Ancient Mathematical Problem Amir D. Aczel No preview available - 1996 |
Fermat's Last Theorem: Unlocking the Secret of an Ancient Mathematical Problem Amir D. Aczel No preview available - 1997 |
Fermat's Last Theorem: Unlocking the Secret of an Ancient Mathematical Problem Amir D. Azcel,Amir D. Aczel No preview available - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
Abel able to prove Academy algebra André André Weil Andrew Wiles Archimedes automorphic Babylonians Barry Mazur beautiful became branches of mathematics called Cambridge Class Number Formula complex plane Dedekind developed Diophantus Dirichlet Egypt elliptic curves Euler System exist Fermat's equation Fermat's Last Theorem Fermat's problem Fermat's theorem Fibonacci numbers field Fourier French Frey's Galois Gauss genus geometry Gerhard Frey Golden Section Goro Shimura ideal numbers ideas imaginary numbers infinitely integers interest irrational numbers Iwasawa Theory Ken Ribet known Kummer later lectures letter mat's Last Theorem mathe mathematicians matician matics modular forms Nick Katz Nicolas Bourbaki number system number theory paper Paris periodic functions Poincaré prime numbers Princeton Professor proof of Fermat's prove Fermat's Last Pythagoras Pythagorean triples rational numbers Serre Shimura-Taniyama conjecture solution of Fermat's solve Sophie Germain square root tion Tokyo-Nikko University whole numbers write wrote Yutaka Taniyama