Fermat's Last Theorem

While the math behind the final solution to be problem may be out of reach for most people, Singh successfully communicates the essence of the mathematics used. The book is not complex or saturated with equations and is accessible to just about anyone. For those more interested in the mathematics, Singh includes a complete set of appendices containing problems and proofs from each era of mathematics he discusses.

All in all, a great read. Highly recommended.


An engrossing page turner for the mathematically inclined   May 15, 2000
LackOfDiscipline (FLAGSTAFF, AZ USA)
25 out of 26 found this review helpful

Wow! I just finished this one and was sad to see it end. The writing is so compelling that I had to stay up to finish it in one sitting. If you are not familiar with Fermat's Last Theorem and why it is such a "big deal", let me just tantalize you by saying that it is basically a "generalized" version of the Pythagorean theorem (the one involving right triangles, which you have surely seen if you have ever taken trigonometry in high school), although it asserts that higher forms of the Pythagorean-style equation are unsolvable.

Singh gives an exquisitely detailed history of the problem going all the way back to its ancient Greek roots (i.e. Pythagoras), proceeds through numerous failed attempts to solve Fermat's challenging theorem by the great mathematicians that succeeded him, and finally concludes with the (initially uncertain) triumph of Andrew Wiles, who posessed the genius to prove the Taniyama-Shimura conjecture (which implies the truth of FLT) and solidify a previously precarious bridge to vast new mathematical wonderlands.

If you enjoyed mathematics at some point in your life and think that interest may still be lingering within you, then you may want to get this one fast - your curiousity and admiration will be revived. One of the best mathematical popularizations around, and an historic scientific/intellectual achievement supremely documented.


don't worry if you're a dud at maths!   December 30, 2000
A. Woodley (New Zealand)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

Being barely able to balance a chequebook myself I approached this book with some caution - but Singh's other recent work "The Code Book", had really excited my interest and I wanted to read more of his work. That this one was about applied mathematics and complex formulas was a pretty daunting subject to tackle but I relied on the fact that Singh seems to be able to tell a historical story as well as simply explain quite complex technical issues. I was not at all disappointed. Singh weaves together hundreds of small and seemingly insignificant incidents to tell a great, and at times very suspenseful story. He seems to have a knack for finding simple explanations, diagrams and examples to gradually build this picture. Not that I feel I will be enrolling in any advanced maths courses anytime soon, about page 160 I found the technical going really tough, but by the then the human element of the story had me absolutely gripped and I wanted to read it to the end. It also helps that there is a little humour in it to help the less than able reader on the way so at one stage one mathematician is quoted as saying, "I was completely astonished because it had never occurred to me to add the extra gamma-zero of (M) structure, simple as it sounds." Yeah right!

To tease us all Singh has included a number of, as yet, unproved equations at the end of the book. So if you feel really inspired......


Think of the book as a great mysteryy   August 3, 2000
Francis J. Mcinerney (Commonwealth)
36 out of 39 found this review helpful

For if you are to approach this book as a work that will lead you to an understanding of a theorem that took 350 years to solve, you might miss a great tale. As others have stated, High School Math will suffice, and for those who may be a bit rusty in Math in any event, the book is still very much worthwhile. The book mentions that some of the Math is understood by perhaps 5 people in the world. If high-level Math concepts were required to enjoy this book, the Author could just have made half a dozen copies.

A notation in a margin started 350 years of effort to solve, or rather prove a theorem that Pierre de Fermat described thusly "I have discovered a truly marvelous proof, which this margin is too narrow to contain". I recently read a comment by Stephen Jay Gould that Mr. Fermat may not have known the proof. His suggestion was that no amount of space allotted by any margin would allow for the proof. I certainly am not qualified to question either individual, but the space eventually used for the proof 356 years later by Professor Andrew Wiles of Princeton may answer the query for you.

Math is often put forth to show something that is universally true, a discipline that transcends language, Nations, and their Cultures. Math "is" and always will be, it allows for no opinion, it works or it does not. This book exposes the reader to a lifetime fascination for Professor Wiles, as well as the 7 years of near isolation it took to solve the mystery. If I understood the text, there were actually requirements needed for the proof that the mechanics for expressing those thoughts with Math did not exist, for Professor Wiles or anyone else. He could not invent truths, but he, and many who worked on this theorem for centuries were required to create new tools, prove the new tools were indeed valid themselves, and then use them to further their quest for the ultimate answer.

The book is also a Historical work of the science and those that labored for the better part of 4 centuries for the answer. It is a remarkable achievement, and it makes for a great use of one's reading time. As for the Author Mr. Simon Singh, he must be given tremendous thanks for his ability to bring this story to a wide audience that otherwise would have had no access to the famous enigma of Mr. Fermat.

Fascinating!


An excellent account of the solving of the puzzle   January 18, 2001
P. Wung (Tipp City, OH USA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

When Andrew Wile came through with his proof in 1993, I was flabbergasted. In my undergraduate and graduate days, this was it, THE prize in mathematics. The fact that there are two popular accounts on this topic is a tribute to how special an achievement proving Fermat's Last Theorem has become. Prior to to the solution, there is at least one book for the layman that Eric T. Bell had written that illustrates the difficulty of the problem.

The achievement must be placed in historical context in order to better appreciate the amount of work and innovation it took to finally prove the theorem.

Both Singh and Amir Aczel wrote very good accounts of the process of solving the problem. They both did a good job of summarizing the history of the problem, they followed through with the building of the solution through each time consuming pain staking step. Indeed the solution is a literal accumulation of important results from many mathematical developments from over the past century. Each one of the steps illuminating the path toward the final proof. The solution encapsulates some of the most innovative solutions to mathematical problems that are seemingly unrelated to Fermat's Last Theorem.

It seems to me that Singh did a more thorough job of explaining the proof. The pace was a bit more leisurely and collegial. Aczel's account seemed more rushed, less considered, and had more of a rush to publish flavor. Not that is was a bad account.

I think that Singh had a more thorough understanding of the history of the problem because he took more time to set up the problem in its historical context. His explanations were also more detailed and better thought out for us amateur mathematician, who understand the fundamentals but not the details of rigourous proof.

Regardless, it was a treat to read and gave me a rush of discovery that usually comes with finishing a good murder mystery rather than an account of a mathematical achievement.