Fermat's Last Theorem

Resumen del libro

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, he was forced to work in secrecy and isolation for seven years, harnessing all the power of modern mathematics to achieve his childhood dream. Many before him had tried and failed, including a 18-century philanderer who was killed in a duel, and an 18-century Frenchwoman who had to attend maths lectures at the Ecole Polytechnique disguised as a man.

A remarkable story of human endeavour and intellectual brilliance over three centuries, Fermat s Last Theorem' will fascinate both specialist and general readers.

Biografía del autor

Simon Singh es doctor en física de partículas por la universidad de Cambridge. En 1990 entró a trabajar en el departamento de ciencia de la BBC y en 1996 alcanzó la fama con su libro, El enigma de Fermat (Planeta).