Fer·mat's last theorem (f r-mäz )n. The theorem that the equation an + bn = cn has no solutions in positive integers a, b, c if n is an integer greater than 2. It was stated as a marginal note by Pierre de Fermat around 1630 and not proved until 1994 by the British mathematician Andrew Wiles (born 1953). |
Fermat's last theorem [fɜːˈmæts]
n
(Mathematics) (in number theory) the hypothesis that the equation xn + yn = zn has no integral solutions for n greater than two
[named after Pierre de Fermat (1601-65), French mathematician]
| Fermat's last theorem (fr-mäz) A theorem stating that the equation an + bn = cn has no solution if a, b, and c are positive integers and if n is an integer greater than 2. The theorem was first stated by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat around 1630, but not proved until 1994. |
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