"I have discovered a truly marvellous proof, which this margin is too narrow to contain". With these words the 17th-century French mathematician Pierre de Fermat threw down the gauntlet to future generations. Over 350 years were to pass before a Englishman finally cracked the mystery in 1995. Andrew Wiles had dreamt of proving Fermat ever since he first read about the theorem as a boy of ten at his local library. Only after years of toil, frustration and disappointment came the breakthrough. This work tells the true story of how Fermat's Theorem was made to yield up its secrets.
Recenzijas
I was surprised to find myself gripped by Simon Singhs Fermats Last Theorem. Reader David Rintouls evident fascination with the conundrum set up by the teasing French mathematician 300 years ago helps, but the real star is Singh, whose book puts across the romance of the discipline and the engaging wit and comradeship of the mathematical community. Independent 16/5/98
Fermats Last Theorem made exhilarating listening. Glasgow Herald 29/1/98
proves unexpectedly gripping The averagely numerate can catch a glimpse of the pure beauty of numbers without having to understand the calculations involved. Sunday Telegraph 7/12/97
Papildus informācija
Short-listed for Rhone Poulenc General Prize for Science Books 1998.
Simon Singh is a science journalist and TV producer. Having completed his Ph.D. at Cambridge he worked from 1991 to 1997 at the BBC producing Tomorrows World and co-directing the BAFTA award-winning documentary Fermats Last Theorem for the Horizon series. In 1997, he published Fermats Last Theorem, which was a no 1 best-seller in Britain and translated into 22 languages. In 1999, he published The Code Book.
