Fermat's Last Theorem: A Mystery That Has Baffled the World's for 358 Years

Author: (English) Simon Singh
Translator: Xue Mi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Fermat's Last Theorem is an unsolved mystery left by the 17th-century French mathematician Fermat for future generations. This puzzle has attracted and baffled countless wise minds throughout the world, stumping many outstanding mathematicians. It wasn't until 358 years later, in 1995, that this difficult problem was finally solved by Andrew Wiles, a mathematician from Cambridge, England. This book narrates the journey of in their quest to prove Fermat's Last Theorem, introducing many great heroes in the realm of mathematics. On the surface, it may seem like just a popular science book on mathematics, but the author's structure is full of ingenuity, starting with Pythagoras' Theorem from ancient Greece. Every important concept and every becomes a chance for the author to tell the story of mathematics. Two threads intertwine in the book—one is the growth and career of Wiles, and the other is the various mathematical knowledge related to Fermat's Last Theorem. At the same time, numerous anecdotes pop up, making the reading both entertaining and enlightening. It is a book worth reading for science enthusiasts and popular science workers.
Fermat's Last Theorem, also known as Fermat's Conjecture, is an unsolved mystery left by the 17th-century French mathematician Fermat for future generations. This puzzle has attracted, baffled, and stumped countless wise minds and outstanding mathematicians throughout history. It wasn't until 358 years later that this older and more famous problem was finally solved by Andrew Wiles, a mathematician from Cambridge, England, in 1995. This book narrates the journey of in their quest to prove Fermat's Last Theorem, introducing many great heroes in the realm of mathematics. It focuses on the major events in the past 40 years that revolutionized the research, especially Wiles' groundbreaking work. Many stories in the book are little-known, making the reading both entertaining and enlightening.