Fermat's Last Theorem: Unlocking the Secret of an Ancient Mathematical Problem

by Amir D. Aczel

Paperback, 1997

Status

Available

Collection

Science

Genres

Publication

Delta (1997), 160 pages

Description

Over 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.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member claude_lambert

I never thought that Fermat's conjecture was very interesting: I don't really care that x^n + y^n = z^n has no whole number solution when n is greater than 2. What is fascinating is that the formulation is so simple, you wonder how it has not been proved or disproved in 300 years. And if you have

the slightest interest in math, it becomes a challenge. I guess anybody who passed the SAT and is a bit curious has secretly given it a try. A mathematician called Andrew Wiles finally proved it in 1993. I wanted to know what it takes, but within limits: first I am not a mathematician, second it is not a major subject of interest to me. Still, I was curious: what did it take? What are the major mathematical ideas involved?
For people like me, this is the perfect book: hardly any equation in it , and the book is SHORT!
Aczel's ambition is to tell just what kind of mathematical discoveries were involved in this. I knew most of what the book says, because I am interested in the history of mathematics. But I could not have written the book; it is like reverse engineering: you got to understand Wile's proof first and run backwards.
So the book is not as simple as it sounds. It is readable, it is interesting, it does the job.

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LibraryThing member John

Mathematical ignoramus that I am, I was sufficiently impressed by the announcement a few years ago that a mathematician had solved Fermat's Last Theorem. I guess what impressed and drew me to this is the fact that the theorem had lain unproven for over 300 years, ever since Fermat noted it in the

margin of a book he was reading, said he had a "truly marvellous proof" of it, but not sufficient space to elucidate, and left it at that; he never returned to the question in any of his writings on mathematics (although he lived for 28 years afterwards). The theorem is elegant in its simplicity: x+y=z (where each is raised to the nth power), has no whole number solution where n is greater than 2.

This exercised many great mathematicians and students over the centuries, but was finally proven by Andrew Wiles, trained in Cambridge and in Princeton at the time. The book provides an overview of the history of mathematics by exploring the various elements and schools of thought that contributed to the solution, beginning with the Greeks and earlier. Frankly, I found it a bit much even in its watered-down form. But I was interested in the basic question: did Fermat have the proof? The book shows that Wiles used the work a number of 20th century mathematicians, building on their work and integrating various schools of thought and approaches, some arcane to put it mildly. Fermat could clearly not have had this proof in mind when he wrote the theorem because much of the mathematics had not yet been invented, but did he have another proof in mind? The author speculates probably not, "but this is not a certainty", as he concedes that there might be simpler proofs of the theorem. The secret went to the grave with Fermat, but it is intriguing to think that his riddle remained unsolved for 300 years.

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LibraryThing member Waldir

Excellent book, short but full of relevant and interesting content. Provides a clear historical background of Fermat's last theorem and its resolution.

LibraryThing member polymorph

I read SIngh's book on FLT first, which was impressive and a good read. I came across Aczel's book later, but even though it is much shorter I eventually had a much better grasp of some of the proof's finer details. E.g. the role of elliptic functions and modular forms. Being a math amateur I

enjoyed reading it very much.

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LibraryThing member melydia

Earlier this year I read a book by the same title by Simon Singh, and unfortunately it is the superior read. Both are about the steps leading to Andrew Wile's 1993 solution to Fermat's Last Theorem, from ancient Greece on. At less than 140 pages, this tiny volume does not do the story justice. I

have a decent math background, but I found myself getting lost in places, and the intrigue simply didn't grab me like it did in Singh's book. If you're in a hurry and just want a bare bones account of the history behind Fermat's Last Theorem, this will do, but if you want the whole story, go straight to Simon Singh.

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