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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
Ottimo libro divulgativo. Dà un resoconto storico dell'ultimo teorema di Fermat accennando ai concetti matematici utilizzati e sviluppati per la sua risoluzione. Vi si trova un ottimo equilibrio fra l'aneddoto, spesso divertente, e le nozioni matematiche.
P.S.: Dato che ultimamente si parla tanto di femminismo...signori e signore: Sophie Germaine!
9/10
P.S.: Dato che ultimamente si parla tanto di femminismo...signori e signore: Sophie Germaine!
9/10
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Fermat was a fascinating figure, juggling several roles as a civil servant, lawyer, and amateur mathematician. Though brilliant, he often failed to provide sufficient proof for his mathematical discoveries, which ultimately led to the creation of "Fermat's last theorem." This theorem, which states that xn+yn=zn has no solutions for n greater than 2, is relatively straightforward for those with a high school math education. However, Fermat's claim that he had a "marvelous demonstration" of the proposition that was too long to fit in the margin left mathematicians baffled for centuries.
In his book, Singh takes readers on a journey through the history of mathematics, beginning with Pythagoras and working his way to Fermat's theorem and the centuries-long hunt for a proof. He weaves in the story of Andrew Wiles, who began working on the proof at age 10 and became utterly obsessed with it, working alone for years until he finally presented a three-part lecture in Cambridge. His proof was initially celebrated, but a gap was found, sending Wiles into despair. He eventually had a breakthrough and fixed the gap, culminating in a triumphant success that reads like a Hollywood plot.
This book is not just for math enthusiasts but for anyone who loves a good story. It's a tale of perseverance, failure, and ultimate triumph, with plenty of fascinating history along the way. Highly recommended
In his book, Singh takes readers on a journey through the history of mathematics, beginning with Pythagoras and working his way to Fermat's theorem and the centuries-long hunt for a proof. He weaves in the story of Andrew Wiles, who began working on the proof at age 10 and became utterly obsessed with it, working alone for years until he finally presented a three-part lecture in Cambridge. His proof was initially celebrated, but a gap was found, sending Wiles into despair. He eventually had a breakthrough and fixed the gap, culminating in a triumphant success that reads like a Hollywood plot.
This book is not just for math enthusiasts but for anyone who loves a good story. It's a tale of perseverance, failure, and ultimate triumph, with plenty of fascinating history along the way. Highly recommended
A great book for anyone interested in numbers that requires virtually no knowledge of mathematics. It reads more like a novel than science!
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Uno de los mejores libros de divulgación científica que he leído... y probablemente el más entretenido
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
informative
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
A truly inspiring narrative of how over three centuries of mathematical knowledge cumulates in a final, triumphant proof of a long-standing and unexplained theorem.
Singh writes with an inclination to all the dramatics. The journey of Andrew Wiles to achieving his childhood dream is eloquently done, whilst also giving an ode to many other great mathematicians and their work.
Whether the efforts of those who attempted a proof were successful or not at proving Fermat’s Last Theorem, very often they resulted in new and revolutionary mathematics; the book highlights how a single problem contributed so greatly to the development of modern mathematics. There is also an underlying focus that all of this was only possible because of sharing knowledge between many people over time, serving as an inspirational example of when humanity (in the mathematical field) works together.