Fermat's Last Theorem

[type-r]

A very interesting and touching documentary by Horizon a few years back on how Andrew Wiles solved one of mathematics last great unsolved puzzles - that is, x^n + y^n != z^n, where n > 2.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0074rxx/hori...

[Simpo Two]

Simon Singh wrote an excellent book about it: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fermats-Last-Theorem-Simon...

My brain checked out of maths after O-level but I could still understand the book - which shows how good it is!

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Simon Singh is appearing at Wycombe Skeptics in the Pub on 19 Nov. Should be good.


http://www.wycombe.skepticsinthepub.org/Event.aspx...

[type-r]

Can't believe it's been 11 years since I posted this but I watched this again this morning and it really is a wonderful documentary. Who'd have thought elliptical curves and modular functions would be related to x^n + y^n != z^n (where n > 2).

[dukeboy749r]

Very interesting - although I am not sure what uses there may be.

Also, as a non graduate individual, the fact that some people can go through life pursuing their dream in the fashion that Professor Wiles did, what a life!

[fooman]

Thanks that was an interesting watch

[type-r]

dukeboy749r said:

Very interesting - although I am not sure what uses there may be.

Also, as a non graduate individual, the fact that some people can go through life pursuing their dream in the fashion that Professor Wiles did, what a life!

Absolutely. And of course being at the absolute top of your field and winning the Shaw Prize or Abel Prize (both of which comes with significant prize money), certainly enables them to concentrate in their field. Not many could take 7 years from their out of their day job to concentrate on solely solving something.

And of course no real practical applications as you say but what a personal achievement that no other mathematician in 350 years could do but it also shows the power of the human collective as he would have been unable to solve it without the work of Flach, without Taniyama, without Shimura, without Ribet etc.