French Mathmetician
[08-17-1601---- 12-12-1965]
Pierre De Fermat came from a wealthy family and attended the University of Toulouse before relocating to Bordeau in the late 1620s. Bordeau worked extensively on math in Bordeau, and here he developed some of his ideas for later mathematical proofs.
Fermat worked on the following mathematical proofs:
Fermat's last theoroem: x^n + y^n=z^n
Every number of the form 4k+1 could be written as the sum of two squares.
Find all Solutions of Nx+1= y for N not a square.
Prove that there are exactly two integer solutions of x+4=y.
Prove that the equation x+2=y has only one integer solutionl.
Prove that the sum of two cubes cannot be a cube.
Perhaps Fermat has received his notoriety for two main points: His dispute with Descartes and the validity of his "Last theroem."
Descartes took issue with Fermat because he believed that Descartes took for granted the "law of refraction" assumption in his "La Dioptrique." Additionally, Descartes disliked Fermat's work on maxima and minima because it underminded his work "La Geometrie." Although the two got into an argument over Fermat's work on maxima, minima and tangents, Descartes was proved wrong. He then proceeded to discredit Fermat's reputation, which was quite easy for a man of Descartes's influence.
Of note with his last theroem, Fermat tried to prove (x^n+y^n=z^n) that this theroem has no non-zero integer solutions for x, y and z when n>2. Unfortunately, Fermat's proof was wrong and was only proven correct in 1994 by Andre Wiles.
Other sources of information
The Window-Pierre De Fermat
Epicurus The Mathematics of Fermat's Last Theroem
Fermat
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