Fermat's Last Theorem: Difference between revisions

 

{{quote|("It is impossible for a cube to be the sum of two cubes, a fourth power to be the sum of two fourth powers, or in general for any number that is a power greater than the second to be the sum of two like powers. I have discovered a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition that this margin is too narrow to contain.")<ref>In [[Layman's Terms]], take this equation: xⁿ + yⁿ = zⁿ. The Last Theorm dictactes that if n is a number above 2, you can't use whole numbers (2, 3, 4, etc.) for the x, y and z.</ref>|'''Pierre de Fermat'''}}

 

Fermat, a prominent 17th-century amateur mathematician, wrote the above note in his copy of a number theory textbook. By the time he died, the textbook was full of such teasing notes; his son published a new annotated edition of the book containing all of these notes in their proper places.