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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
This isn't usually the kind of thing I would read - I borrowed it. I must say though that it was interesting, well written and made a difficult concept easy to understand
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
What a read! I like math more than most, but even I did not think a book about solving a 350 year old math problem could be so incredibly engrossing. What a fantastic story, revolving much more around the people involved than the mathematics itself.
Don't worry, the absurdly complex math involved Is referenced only obliquely, and while you or I may not care in the least about elliptical and/or modular forms, the story told in this book was extremely interesting and I couldn't put it down. Beautifully told story and impressively told in a way that lends drama and intrigue not only to math, but math from 350 years ago!
Highly recommended.
Don't worry, the absurdly complex math involved Is referenced only obliquely, and while you or I may not care in the least about elliptical and/or modular forms, the story told in this book was extremely interesting and I couldn't put it down. Beautifully told story and impressively told in a way that lends drama and intrigue not only to math, but math from 350 years ago!
Highly recommended.
Doesn't quite breath the passion and love for mathematics as much as Hardy's "A Mathematician's Apology", but it does give a wonderful and thrilling account of the history of Fermat's Last Theorem.
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
A fantastically entertaining and educational book about the quest to solve the oldest math problem: Fermat's Last Theorem. The intrigue, mystery, and drama surrounding the famous theorem without a proof (but that Fermat had said he had a proof for, just not enough space to write it in the margins) is exciting enough. All the math greats who have attempted to solve it but come up a little short, or a lot short.
But it's much more than that, since the final proof of Fermat's Theorem involves so many other math concepts. This book starts and ends with Fermat, but in the middle it is more like a grand tour of all the mathematical developments that make the proof even possible. It's interesting to read about all the different dead ends and other productive findings (that had tangentially made it a little more possible to solve Fermat, but whose main contribution was in some other area). Also, reading about Galois's amazing life always makes me giddy. I mean, I've read about him before, but his story is just so crazy--math genius turned revolutionary thrown in jail involved in affair ends in duel, scribbles out his last thoughts the night before he dies... amazing.
But don't expect to understand how the proof actually works by the end. The proof itself is over 100 pages, so there is no way a normal non-math genius can understand it. But you will get a general idea of the approach/trajectory/style of the final beast. Also, some of the math concepts leading up to it are quite easily comprehensible. I wouldn't recommend this book to a math whiz... it's more of a fun read for the layperson.
It would ultimately be more satisfying if the proof were a short elegant thing that didn't involve latest groundbreaking discoveries in math. But maybe the bright side is that we can still wonder about Fermat's original (alleged) proof that was never written down. It had to be different from Andrew Wile's proof; does it exist? Or was Fermat bluffing? Or did he make an error in his proof?
But it's much more than that, since the final proof of Fermat's Theorem involves so many other math concepts. This book starts and ends with Fermat, but in the middle it is more like a grand tour of all the mathematical developments that make the proof even possible. It's interesting to read about all the different dead ends and other productive findings (that had tangentially made it a little more possible to solve Fermat, but whose main contribution was in some other area). Also, reading about Galois's amazing life always makes me giddy. I mean, I've read about him before, but his story is just so crazy--math genius turned revolutionary thrown in jail involved in affair ends in duel, scribbles out his last thoughts the night before he dies... amazing.
But don't expect to understand how the proof actually works by the end. The proof itself is over 100 pages, so there is no way a normal non-math genius can understand it. But you will get a general idea of the approach/trajectory/style of the final beast. Also, some of the math concepts leading up to it are quite easily comprehensible. I wouldn't recommend this book to a math whiz... it's more of a fun read for the layperson.
It would ultimately be more satisfying if the proof were a short elegant thing that didn't involve latest groundbreaking discoveries in math. But maybe the bright side is that we can still wonder about Fermat's original (alleged) proof that was never written down. It had to be different from Andrew Wile's proof; does it exist? Or was Fermat bluffing? Or did he make an error in his proof?
Why do variables love mathematics?
y₀
(My head says rationally: Veronica, Goodreads is not a place for the corny wisecracks that you come up with during the day. My heart says differently.)
y₀
(My head says rationally: Veronica, Goodreads is not a place for the corny wisecracks that you come up with during the day. My heart says differently.)
Amazing story of an incredible but abstract and complex achievement told in a most relatable way. Some excellent insight's into the history of mathematics too. Utterly fascinating.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced