Pierre de Fermat

Date of Birth: August 17, 1601

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Date of Death: January 12, 1665

Biography

Pierre de Fermat was a prominent French lawyer and mathematician born in the 17th century. He is best known for his contributions to number theory and his work in the early development of calculus. Fermat’s work laid the groundwork for later mathematicians such as Euler and Gauss. His most famous assertion, known as Fermat’s Last Theorem, was a conjecture that he noted in the margin of a book, stating that no three positive integers \(a\), \(b\), and \(c\) can satisfy the equation \(a^n + b^n = c^n\) for any integer value of \(n\) greater than 2. This theorem remained unproven for over 350 years until it was finally solved by Andrew Wiles in 1994. Fermat practiced law and served as a magistrate in his hometown of Toulouse. Despite his significant contributions to mathematics, he never published his work formally, and much of his work was discovered posthumously. His correspondence with other mathematicians of his time, such as Blaise Pascal, played a crucial role in the development of probability theory.

5 Interesting Facts about Pierre de Fermat

1. Fermat’s Last Theorem was famously noted in the margin of his copy of an ancient Greek text, Diophantus’ “Arithmetica.”

2. He independently discovered many of the principles of calculus around the same time as Rene Descartes.

3. Fermat was a contemporary of René Descartes, and the two had a noted rivalry.

4. He made significant contributions to the theory of probability in collaboration with Blaise Pascal.

5. Despite his mathematical genius, Fermat’s primary occupation was as a lawyer and public official.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Pierre de Fermat

1. “I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of this, which this margin is too narrow to contain.”

2. “It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.”

3. “To divide a cube into two other cubes, a fourth power or in general any power higher than the second into two like powers, is impossible.”

4. “When I have been able to overlook the difficulties, I have found that the truths which I have discovered are of the same kind as those which I have heard praised from youth up.”

5. “In the margin of this book, I have found a wonderful proof, but it is too lengthy to fit here.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Fermat did not achieve notable wealth through his mathematical pursuits. His net worth was primarily derived from his work as a lawyer and magistrate, but specific figures are not available from historical records.

Children

Pierre de Fermat had five children with his wife, Louise Long. His eldest son, Clément-Samuel Fermat, followed in his father’s footsteps and became a lawyer.