Originally published in 1997, Fermat’s Last Theorem by Simon Singh has been on my TBR list for a while. I picked it up last week while visiting a glorious second hand bookshop in Edinburgh (thank you Armchair Books!).

I love a good popular science book and this is probably the first ‘popular maths’ book I’ve read. It’s absolutely accessible for readers with little or no mathematical knowledge – there’s a reason this book hit the bestseller list when it was released.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

xn + yn = zn, where n represents 3, 4, 5, …no solution

“I have discovered a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain.”

With these words, the seventeenth-century French mathematician Pierre de Fermat threw down the gauntlet to future generations. What came to be known as Fermat’s Last Theorem looked simple; proving it, however, became the Holy Grail of mathematics, baffling its finest minds for more than 350 years. In Fermat’s Enigma–based on the author’s award-winning documentary film, which aired on PBS’s “Nova”–Simon Singh tells the astonishingly entertaining story of the pursuit of that grail, and the lives that were devoted to, sacrificed for, and saved by it. Here is a mesmerizing tale of heartbreak and mastery that will forever change your feelings about mathematics.

I devoured this book over a couple of days. I really struggled to put it down. It tells the story of Andrew Wiles, a mathematician who dedicated eight years of his life to solving the greatest unanswered maths question of all time – Fermat’s Last Theorem.

Over 300 years before, Pierre de Fermat proposed a theorem (above) that mathematicians have been trying for centuries to prove. However you really don’t have to understand any of that to enjoy the book.

Singh takes the reader on a journey through time, from when Fermat first proposed it (scribbling a note in the margin saying he had proof it was true – but leaving no sign of it) to the various mathematicians who attempted to prove it was correct.

Did Fermat really come up with proof? Or did he just think he did? We’ll never know.

One aspect of the book I really enjoyed (apart from, you know, the whole thing), was how Singh told the stories of the mathematicians. It isn’t purely a book about maths, it’s about people.

Girl Power

One mathematician who stood out for me was Sophie Germaine. Born in the 1700s, it wasn’t considered proper for a woman to study maths. Her parents took away her fire, light and clothes in an attempt to stop her studying – but she persisted. They eventually gave in, and Sophie eventually submitted a paper under a pseudonym so that she wasn’t identified as a woman. The supervisor of the course was so impressed with the quality of work that he asked to meet the student – and was surprised, and delighted, to meet the young woman.

She ended up making huge contributions to solving Fermat’s Last Theorem, and eventually moved into physics where she also did ground-breaking work. Despite winning numerous awards, her death certificate simply listed her as ‘a single woman with no profession’.

Mystery solved…

Of course, moving into the modern age, the book follows Andrew Wiles. Andrew is the genius who eventually solves the mystery, after hiding himself away for almost a decade to work on it. His dedication to the cause started when he was a young boy and despite most mathematicians giving up on it, he never did. It isn’t a straight-forward journey though and there are times when he considers giving it all up.

Singh writes absolutely beautifully. He worked closely with Andrew Wiles on the book and so gives great insight into the mind of someone with the capability of solving such a mysterious and long-lasting problem.

I recommend this book whole-heartedly. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside when reading about someone finally solving a problem hundreds (if not thousands) before them couldn’t. If you ever need a reminder of how hard work and determination pays off, this is it!

Verdict: 5/5!

The post REVIEW – Fermat’s Last Theorem by Simon Singh appeared first on Books I Read.