MadSci Network: Science History
Query:

Subject: Could Fermat's Last Thereom be prooved using older mathematics?

Date: Tue Jan 4 13:50:33 2000
Posted by Joseph Marques
Grade level: undergrad School: No school entered.
City: Kearny State/Province: NJ Country: No country entered.
Area of science: Science History
ID: 947015433.Sh
Message:

Well over 3 centuries ago Fermat jotted down in the margin of a book, more 
or less, his famous last conjecture (which has now become a theroem thanks 
to Mr. Andrew Wiles).  All Mathematicians know that without the 
mathematics that the 20th century devised/created that he could never have 
prooven Fermat's statement to be either true or false.  But Fermat also 
wrote of that he had a 'marvelous proof for this that which the margin 
would not hold'.  Does this mean that there is still another way of 
prooving his statement using, possibly, 17th century mathematics?  


Re: Could Fermat's Last Thereom be prooved using older mathematics?

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