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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
I never liked math. Up to now, I still get palpitations whenever I see fractions, quadratic equations, and Cartesian planes. I can perform basic arithmetic in my head but I'd rather not go deep into algebra, trigonometry, calculus, and the ever dreadful geometry. In spite of this apprehension, I remain in awe of how mathematics and its applications are everywhere and govern not just our physical world but also realms too big for our minds to contemplate.
I read this book because I've read somewhere that Fermat's last theorem took hundreds of years before it was solved. I am a history junkie so I had to know what is so fascinating about this theorem. Fermat's last theorem states that there is no whole number solution to the equation: x to the nth power + y to the nth power = z to the nth power, given that n is greater than 2. Looks like the Pythagorean theorem (n=2) with all its infinite solutions. This problem was formulated by a French civil servant, Pierre de Fermat, who solved math problems for fun in his spare time. He had a 'marvelous proof' of proving that equation but he was not able to write it before his death.
This book traces the history of that theorem and how many mathematicians in history had something to do with it in one way or another: from the early beginnings of Pythagoras and his Brotherhood (which sounds like a cult), Euclid's proof by contradiction, the burning of the Library of Alexandria (sad emoji) and the smuggling of the remaining mathematics books, Euler's first breakthrough of proving the theorem, the sad story of Sophie Germain who had to pretend to be a man just to have access to French higher education which was then averse to females, the tragic short life of Evariste Galois who contributed group theory, the suicidal Paul Wolfskehl who was 'saved' by this theorem because he was reading about it on the night he planned to kill himself and got fascinated, the provision of the Taniyama-Shimura conjecture and Iwasawa theory and the Kolyvagin-Flach method, up to the 1994 when Andrew Wiles, a Princeton University mathematics professor, who, after 8 years of isolated hardwork, was able to prove the theorem by incorporating all the contributions of mathematicians that came before him.
Reading this book feels like walking into a strange room and assaulted by strange smells and sights. I do not claim to understand everything written in this book (I think my life would still be okay if I could not understand why elliptical equations are associated with modular forms) but the parts that I did understand blew my mind. It helps that Singh's writing is friendly to non-math-lovers like me.
Mathematics is an interesting field, more so because it is everywhere. It may be misunderstood and conceived as difficult by people like me, but one thing is for sure, it is always fascinating. To infinity and beyond.
I read this book because I've read somewhere that Fermat's last theorem took hundreds of years before it was solved. I am a history junkie so I had to know what is so fascinating about this theorem. Fermat's last theorem states that there is no whole number solution to the equation: x to the nth power + y to the nth power = z to the nth power, given that n is greater than 2. Looks like the Pythagorean theorem (n=2) with all its infinite solutions. This problem was formulated by a French civil servant, Pierre de Fermat, who solved math problems for fun in his spare time. He had a 'marvelous proof' of proving that equation but he was not able to write it before his death.
This book traces the history of that theorem and how many mathematicians in history had something to do with it in one way or another: from the early beginnings of Pythagoras and his Brotherhood (which sounds like a cult), Euclid's proof by contradiction, the burning of the Library of Alexandria (sad emoji) and the smuggling of the remaining mathematics books, Euler's first breakthrough of proving the theorem, the sad story of Sophie Germain who had to pretend to be a man just to have access to French higher education which was then averse to females, the tragic short life of Evariste Galois who contributed group theory, the suicidal Paul Wolfskehl who was 'saved' by this theorem because he was reading about it on the night he planned to kill himself and got fascinated, the provision of the Taniyama-Shimura conjecture and Iwasawa theory and the Kolyvagin-Flach method, up to the 1994 when Andrew Wiles, a Princeton University mathematics professor, who, after 8 years of isolated hardwork, was able to prove the theorem by incorporating all the contributions of mathematicians that came before him.
Reading this book feels like walking into a strange room and assaulted by strange smells and sights. I do not claim to understand everything written in this book (I think my life would still be okay if I could not understand why elliptical equations are associated with modular forms) but the parts that I did understand blew my mind. It helps that Singh's writing is friendly to non-math-lovers like me.
Mathematics is an interesting field, more so because it is everywhere. It may be misunderstood and conceived as difficult by people like me, but one thing is for sure, it is always fascinating. To infinity and beyond.
Book description: “will forever change your feelings about mathematics.” 100% accurate. I’m kind of blown away and upset that my teachers did such a poor job of communicating the magic of math — it is remarkable and scary and we totally live in a simulation, right? I’ve spent my whole life disliking math but this book really has changed my view of it. I have no memory of how this ended up on my to-read list but I’m so glad it did.
Nice quick read about Fermat's equation and how it was finally solved. Nice introductory read, with enough math to allow the reader to get a feel for the solution. Perfect length.
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Muy buen libro. Gran trabajo de divulgación matemática. Cuenta la carrera por la resolución del Teorema de Fermat desde Pitágoras hasta finales del SXX. Describe el mundo matemático y explica muy bien los conceptos técnicos.
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
I would've never guessed that a book about math could be so entertaining. Of course a lot of the finer mathematical concepts went over my head, but the author made every effort to make very abstract things concrete and understandable to the layperson. A fascinating multicentury history of mathematical genius, intrigue, and mystery.
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
fast-paced