How to pronounce 'fermat'?
fermat
noun
How to pronounce fermat?
The word fermat sounds like fer-mat
/fɛR'mA/
What is the definition of fermat?
nounFrench mathematician who founded number theory; contributed (with Pascal) to the theory of probability (1601-1665)
What is the definition of 'fermat'?
- Fermat is a proper noun that refers to Pierre de Fermat, a French mathematician and lawyer who made significant contributions to number theory and analytic geometry.
Who is Pierre de Fermat?
- Pierre de Fermat was a 17th-century French mathematician and lawyer. He is known for his pioneering work in number theory, probability theory, and analytic geometry.
What are Pierre de Fermat's notable contributions?
- Pierre de Fermat made several important contributions to mathematics, including Fermat's Last Theorem, which remained an unsolved problem for over 350 years until it was proven by Andrew Wiles in 1994. He also developed the method of finding extrema of functions, known as Fermat's method of adequality. Fermat's principle of least time and Fermat's spiral are also named after him.
What is Fermat's Last Theorem?
- Fermat's Last Theorem states that there are no three positive integers a, b, and c that 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 proven by Andrew Wiles in 1994.
What is Fermat's method of adequality?
- Fermat's method of adequality is a mathematical technique developed by Pierre de Fermat to find extrema (maximum or minimum) of functions. The method involves comparing the ratios of infinitesimally small changes in the variables of a function.
What is Fermat's principle of least time?
- Fermat's principle of least time states that light travels between two points in the least possible time. This principle is the basis for the law of reflection and the law of refraction in optics.
What is Fermat's spiral?
- Fermat's spiral is a geometric curve that was discovered by Pierre de Fermat. It is defined by the equation r^2 = a^2θ, where r represents the distance from the origin, θ is the angle, and a is a constant.
What other areas did Fermat contribute to?
- In addition to number theory, probability theory, and analytic geometry, Pierre de Fermat also made contributions to optics, including the principle of least time and the law of reflection and refraction. He also made progress in the field of calculus.
What is the significance of Fermat's contributions?
- Pierre de Fermat's contributions to mathematics were significant and influential. His work laid the foundation for many branches of mathematics, including number theory and calculus. His unresolved Last Theorem challenged mathematicians for centuries, and its eventual proof by Andrew Wiles marked a major milestone in the field. Fermat's ideas and methods continue to be studied and appreciated by mathematicians today.
Are there any books or publications by Fermat?
- Although Pierre de Fermat did not publish many of his findings during his lifetime, he made numerous mathematical discoveries and wrote them down in his personal notebooks. His most famous surviving work is his annotation of Diophantus' Arithmetica, where he famously wrote that he had a proof for Fermat's Last Theorem but the margin was too small to contain it.
