This tells a fascinating tale spanning more than 350 years of
investigation into the greatest riddle in mathematics. Whether
Fermat himself ever did have a proof of his famous last theorem we
will never know; but the saga of the many attempts to find a proof,
and the ultimate success of Andrew Wiles in the 1990s, makes
absorbing reading. In 1993, Wiles, a Cambridge mathematician,
electrified the world of mathematics - and appeared in the news
worldwide - when he announced he had solved the eponymous theorem.
To do this he had worked alone for seven years; when his proof was
found to have a flaw, he had to devote another year to it. Singh's
book is respectful of the maths, but also offers a colourful
history of the theorem and the personalities of the mathematicians
involved in it. (Kirkus UK)
In 1963 a schoolboy browsing in his local library stumbled across the world's greatest mathematical problem: Fermat's Last Theorem, a puzzle that every child can understand but which has baffled mathematicians for over 300 years. Aged just ten, Andrew Wiles dreamed that he would crack it. Wiles's lifelong obsession with a seemingly simple challenge set by a long-dead Frenchman is an emotional tale of sacrifice and extraordinary determination. In the end, Wiles was forced to work in secrecy and isolation for seven years, harnessing all the power of modern maths to achieve his childhood dream. Many before him had tried and failed, including a 18-century philanderer who was killed in a duel. An 18-century Frenchwoman made a major breakthrough in solving the riddle, but she had to attend maths lectures at the Ecole Polytechnique disguised as a man since women were forbidden entry to the school. A remarkable story of human endeavour and intellectual brilliance over three centuries, Fermat's Last Theorem will fascinate both specialist and general readers.
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