Fermat's Last Theorem - Numberphile

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 พ.ย. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 2.9K

  • @charmelonchannel
    @charmelonchannel 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5148

    "The proof is trivial and left as an exercise to the reader."
    The proof:

    • @detectivemarkseven
      @detectivemarkseven 3 ปีที่แล้ว +67

      Typical 🤣

    • @jackblack5082
      @jackblack5082 3 ปีที่แล้ว +85

      this hits so hard ... literally my EM physics lecturer use to do this for half the course

    • @JW-zs1ik
      @JW-zs1ik 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Fr lol 😂

    • @archockencanto1645
      @archockencanto1645 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Well there can be other proofs which just require creativity that's probably 2-3 pages long and simple.

    • @deleted-something
      @deleted-something 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Ye

  • @Putzq
    @Putzq 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1489

    Fermat was also right in that the margin was too small to contain the proof.

    • @aradhya_purohit
      @aradhya_purohit 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      69th like

    • @scipionedelferro
      @scipionedelferro 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      This is the most underrated comments of all. Fantastic!

    • @SirMo
      @SirMo 2 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      Quite a fellow Fermat was. Right about everything.

    • @merajshaikh5060
      @merajshaikh5060 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Mdmerajshaikh

    • @desirapbeats6564
      @desirapbeats6564 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      17th century proofs are mostly non mathematical they prove it mostly using geometry that must have been beautiful .

  • @carultch
    @carultch 9 ปีที่แล้ว +4825

    Had Fermat never heard of the concept of GETTING ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER?

    • @vvalph9483
      @vvalph9483 6 ปีที่แล้ว +640

      It seems that concept was far too complex during his age. It's probably harder than the Theorem itself.

    • @dr.spectre9697
      @dr.spectre9697 5 ปีที่แล้ว +51

      I thought they used vellum back then not paper

    • @Awss-qy9dk
      @Awss-qy9dk 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Wooooosh

    • @jamirimaj6880
      @jamirimaj6880 5 ปีที่แล้ว +135

      Of course he heard the concept. Bet you never heard of this another concept of "Maybe he's lying all along and it's just a conjecture of his and relies on other people to prove it because he has no proof all this time"

    • @gadrill4285
      @gadrill4285 5 ปีที่แล้ว +72

      There just wasn't enough brown paper.
      Truly a travesty.

  • @ian_b
    @ian_b 9 ปีที่แล้ว +10174

    I have a most wonderful proof of the Reimann Hypothesis. Sadly, this comment box is too small to fit it in.

    • @Whatsth3b1g1d3a
      @Whatsth3b1g1d3a 9 ปีที่แล้ว +508

      +jaxxstraw Aww man.... I was really looking forward to seeing an ASCII zeta function

    • @omegasrevenge
      @omegasrevenge 8 ปีที่แล้ว +528

      Damn, there goes my free time for the next 7 years :/

    • @legitgopnik8431
      @legitgopnik8431 7 ปีที่แล้ว +215

      Don't die on us now!

    • @ym-wi3cp
      @ym-wi3cp 7 ปีที่แล้ว +55

      +Squilliam Fancyson not sure what a ASCII zeta function is but it sure sounds sexy

    • @josecasillas4081
      @josecasillas4081 7 ปีที่แล้ว +65

      This aint twitter, you aren't limited. Do tell lol.

  • @thodkats
    @thodkats 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3288

    When i was 17 years old, my mathematician bought me a book called : Fermat's Last Theorem. It was by far the best book I 've ever read to this day. Today i see this video from Numberphille, and i realize that the author of that very book, is the guy in the video above : Simon Singh. Needless to say that I am speechless.

    • @xenopheliac7202
      @xenopheliac7202 7 ปีที่แล้ว +697

      You had your own mathematician? Nice. :)

    • @epicguyusa5841
      @epicguyusa5841 7 ปีที่แล้ว +56

      Have you read his book about the mathematical references in the Simpsons. I never quite finished but it is still sitting on my shelf

    • @AvinashtheIyerHaHaLOL
      @AvinashtheIyerHaHaLOL 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      thodkats is legendary

    • @salahudinsmailagic6763
      @salahudinsmailagic6763 6 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Same thing happened to me, I realized it today.

    • @darrenjones9359
      @darrenjones9359 5 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Needles to say...

  • @alextrusk1986
    @alextrusk1986 10 ปีที่แล้ว +5917

    fermat was the ultimate troll of academia

    • @Eonions
      @Eonions 9 ปีที่แล้ว +76

      +Alex Trusk Or a psychopath and a master in manipulation !

    • @pringelsthegamefreak
      @pringelsthegamefreak 7 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Alex Trusk lol

    • @TheMoonRover
      @TheMoonRover 7 ปีที่แล้ว +44

      Yeah, because 3987^12 + 4365^12 = 4472^12

    • @gamerdio2503
      @gamerdio2503 7 ปีที่แล้ว +53

      TheMoonRover It isn't correct, it is ALMOST correct, but it isn't

    • @TheMoonRover
      @TheMoonRover 7 ปีที่แล้ว +45

      I know. It was a joke as to *why* Fermat was trolling (see original comment).

  • @usergroupX
    @usergroupX 10 ปีที่แล้ว +2793

    I'VE GOT THE PROOF!! ... but I gotta go return some dvds to blockbuster :(

    • @bethkruse3103
      @bethkruse3103 9 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      ***** strange the answer was easy, but I am lost on how to post it. so please click on my name.

    • @Raj_Theron
      @Raj_Theron 9 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      v

    • @jazzmetal500
      @jazzmetal500 9 ปีที่แล้ว +111

      "I have to return some videotapes"

    • @Memorex996
      @Memorex996 7 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      i got it, but i can't explain it. to complex for you mortals to understand

    • @useresu301
      @useresu301 6 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Be careful when you cross the street.

  • @ferrishthefish
    @ferrishthefish 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1583

    "For seven years Andrew Wiles worked on this problem in complete secrecy."
    DID YOU NOT LEARN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WORK ON PROBLEMS IN SECRECY THE FIRST TIME?!?

    • @fossilfighters101
      @fossilfighters101 7 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      +++

    • @gamestarz2001
      @gamestarz2001 6 ปีที่แล้ว +417

      Then he finally found the proof, so he wrote on a piece of paper "paper too small for proof" and tragically passed away.

    • @prajnaprajna1923
      @prajnaprajna1923 6 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      I was also a sleeping person for solving this three-letter problem. Fermat ask question in the 3-letter disequation :x^n+y^n=/z^n. I answer:
      x^(n/2)+y^(n/2)+delta=z^(n/2 ) Because they are not the same so
      there is no solution about integer.

    • @B_Bodziak
      @B_Bodziak 6 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      @@prajnaprajna1923 WHY do you have this exact comment posted SO MANY times in the comments’ section of this video?

    • @chopun3862
      @chopun3862 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Probs wanted all credit for himself

  • @karldavis7392
    @karldavis7392 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2381

    I like it when n=1. :-)

    • @robin-vt1qj
      @robin-vt1qj 9 ปีที่แล้ว +105

      1 + 1 = 1 right noooob

    • @llollercoaster
      @llollercoaster 9 ปีที่แล้ว +228

      +robin van Sint Annaland n=1 results in the formula a+b=c....

    • @karldavis7392
      @karldavis7392 9 ปีที่แล้ว +88

      +robin van Sint Annaland n=1 makes a^1+b^1=c^1. I bet I can find a solution, like a=3, b=4, c=7. 3+4=7. :-) Of course I'm just being silly, the mathematicians here are real geniuses and I totally respect them.

    • @colonelmustard7718
      @colonelmustard7718 9 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      +robin van Sint Annaland n is the index...

    • @robin-vt1qj
      @robin-vt1qj 9 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      +Colonel Mustard i know but is abc is 1 as well aaaaa........

  • @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805
    @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 4 ปีที่แล้ว +304

    Take a bow Andrew Wiles. He found his passion so early and worked hard and didn't stop until he solved the problem. A true inspiration

    • @adzaaahhh
      @adzaaahhh 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Agreed. I like to think he's a distant relative - my grandfather, a decorated D-Day veteran, was named Thomas Wiles. I understand the mighty mental magnitude of what he did but consider myself to be a mere muppet in comparison to both of the aforementioned.

    • @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805
      @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@adzaaahhh wow that's something! You must have so many stories from your grandfather about the war. Huge respect for both of them!

    • @adzaaahhh
      @adzaaahhh 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 Unfortunately he passed away when I was 2 years old so never got to know him or hear any of his war stories firsr-hand. According to my parents, he never liked to talk about it anyway as he was quite traumatised by the memory. In truth, I doubt there's any close link between the two men other than the same surname, and their sheer dogged determination (in different ways of course).

    • @georgeice-u2m
      @georgeice-u2m ปีที่แล้ว

      all his efort to proof FLT was in vain.HE lack the genius and chose the nerd way to find a proof. if i can present my two
      elementary proofs of fLT the world would see that his efort was in vain.

    • @georgeice-u2m
      @georgeice-u2m ปีที่แล้ว

      with a lot of perspiration

  • @spartnstarcraft2
    @spartnstarcraft2 10 ปีที่แล้ว +2068

    i am so shocked at how well this guys pulls off that hair

    • @khadijahflowers5566
      @khadijahflowers5566 6 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      spartnstarcraft2 He reminds me of the main antagonist from Outlast: Whistleblower , Eddie Gluskin 😂😂 I still love him though 😊

    • @cluckendip
      @cluckendip 6 ปีที่แล้ว +61

      Literally pulling it off.

    • @mator2339
      @mator2339 5 ปีที่แล้ว +39

      Taxi driver style mohawk.

    • @akumar7366
      @akumar7366 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      LOVE YOUR COMMENT KIND OF FAMILY GUY LIKE.

    • @TheSpiritedGamer
      @TheSpiritedGamer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Not gonna lie, I thought it was Maynard James Keenan at first

  • @putinstea
    @putinstea 10 ปีที่แล้ว +371

    That is one hell of a compelling story, and this Simon tells it so well!

  • @YamiPanda
    @YamiPanda 9 ปีที่แล้ว +655

    Fermat would really suck at twitter.

    • @nikolairahat2782
      @nikolairahat2782 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      First reply after 8 years

  • @jmiquelmb
    @jmiquelmb 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2166

    The correct explanation is always the easiest one. Fermat was an alien/time traveller who used his superior knowledge in mathematics to spark human curiosity and help our primitive civilization to discover new branches of mathematics. He didn't show the proofs to not interphere too much with human history. Thats why all their hyphotheses were correct. Occam's razor, guys.

  • @matthewjackson9615
    @matthewjackson9615 8 ปีที่แล้ว +92

    Wiles provided the correct proof to Fermat's Last Theorem which was the greatest achievement in modern mathematical history. Yet, outside of academic circles , no one knows who he is. It was still one hell of an accomplishment as far as I'm concerned.

    • @Serquest
      @Serquest 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Matthew Jackson but he was wrong

    • @veerleswartebroekx6816
      @veerleswartebroekx6816 7 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Did you not watch until the end? He found the proof eventually.

    • @veerleswartebroekx6816
      @veerleswartebroekx6816 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      What do you mean different? In the video both the flawed attempt of proof was talked about as well a the correct one Andrew Whiles delivered.

    • @georgeice4389
      @georgeice4389 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @Matew Jackson : you say:"the greatest achievement in modern mathematical history". I am saying so much overrated

  • @hexa3389
    @hexa3389 5 ปีที่แล้ว +138

    LIFE HACKS: next time you get an exam saying "show your work" write "this paper is too small to contain it".

  • @willmcpherson2
    @willmcpherson2 6 ปีที่แล้ว +219

    "I was sitting at my desk examining the Kolyvagin-Flach method. It wasn't that I believed I could make it work, but I thought that at least I could explain why it didn’t work. Suddenly I had this incredible revelation. I realised that, the Kolyvagin-Flach method wasn't working, but it was all I needed to make my original Iwasawa theory work from three years earlier. So out of the ashes of Kolyvagin-Flach seemed to rise the true answer to the problem. It was so indescribably beautiful; it was so simple and so elegant. I couldn't understand how I'd missed it and I just stared at it in disbelief for twenty minutes. Then during the day I walked around the department, and I'd keep coming back to my desk looking to see if it was still there. It was still there. I couldn't contain myself, I was so excited. It was the most important moment of my working life. Nothing I ever do again will mean as much."
    - Andrew Wiles

    • @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805
      @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 5 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      He showed one can do anything he likes if he possesses the proper passion, perseverance, determination. This guy literally wasted(irony intended) half of his life to prove the theorem and he succeeded. What a legend!

    • @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805
      @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 5 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      He is a legend!

  • @aeroscience9834
    @aeroscience9834 9 ปีที่แล้ว +490

    Haha, and in Star Trek TNG, they were talking about how it still had not been proven in the 24th century. I guess they should have waited a few years.

    • @zwz.zdenek
      @zwz.zdenek 9 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      +Aeroscience ...Or this proof will be found to be wrong and unfixable.

    • @lastvatican1976
      @lastvatican1976 7 ปีที่แล้ว +42

      In March 2016, Wiles was awarded the Norwegian government's Abel prize worth €600,000 for "for his stunning proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem by way of the modularity conjecture for semistable elliptic curves, opening a new era in number theory."

    • @lastvatican1976
      @lastvatican1976 7 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      The two papers were vetted and published as the entirety of the May 1995 issue of the Annals of Mathematics. These papers established the modularity theorem for semistable elliptic curves, the last step in proving Fermat's Last Theorem, 358 years after it was conjectured.

    • @lastvatican1976
      @lastvatican1976 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      i know its copy paste(my statement was taken from wikipedia) but its already proven which mean that from conjecture to theorem... u get it??? the theorem had already being checked... he even got award for it... zzz

    • @zwz.zdenek
      @zwz.zdenek 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      You are driven by wishful thinking. There is only a handful of mathematicians worldwide who may have what it takes to understand the proof. Even they don't have much information about the new knowledge invented in the proof. So little manpower and so much area for errors warrants suspicion.
      I'd like humanity to progress as much as the next guy, but having the hegemon solved single-handedly by an unknown professor is just not something I will buy into in a hurry.

  • @ihathtelekinesis
    @ihathtelekinesis 8 ปีที่แล้ว +195

    Wiles's original paper was a bit of a Parker square.

    • @prajnaprajna1923
      @prajnaprajna1923 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I was also a sleeping person for solving this three-letter problem.
      Fermat ask question in the 3-letter disequation :x^n+y^n=/z^n. I answer:
      x^(n/2)+y^(n/2)+delta=z^(n/2 ) Because they are not the same so
      there is no solution about integer. yes, Fermat is crazy

    • @varlam1568
      @varlam1568 6 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      @@prajnaprajna1923 your method and statement is wrong. There are solutions when n=1 and n=2.

  • @tristramgordon8252
    @tristramgordon8252 5 ปีที่แล้ว +64

    Few years ago, BBC television (UK) made a programme with him explaining all about the humongous amount of work and isolation he endured to solve this problem, truly astonishing programme.

    • @WebeloZappBrannigan
      @WebeloZappBrannigan 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      The programme in question is an episode of the "Horizon" series called "Fermat's Last Theorem", and it was directed by some bloke called Simon Singh.
      At the time of writing (2022-09-25), it's available on BBC iPlayer.

  • @DawsJosh
    @DawsJosh 9 ปีที่แล้ว +317

    Brady, I've just realized, I've probably seen most of the videos you've posted and I've never commented... Thanks for making videos, dude.

    • @prajnaprajna1923
      @prajnaprajna1923 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I was also a sleeping person for solving this three-letter problem.
      Fermat ask question in the 3-letter disequation :x^n+y^n=/z^n. I answer:
      x^(n/2)+y^(n/2)+delta=z^(n/2 ) Because they are not the same so
      there is no solution about integer. yes, Fermat is crazy

  • @probablynotsatanic66
    @probablynotsatanic66 10 ปีที่แล้ว +718

    This guy looks so steampunk.

  • @vamshidarisi8400
    @vamshidarisi8400 9 ปีที่แล้ว +327

    he came to my school, and he signed my fermat book

    • @ChaiKirbs
      @ChaiKirbs 8 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      +Vamshi Darisi Fermat died in January....... of 1665. Someone call Guiness World records, we have a new world's oldest person!!

    • @vamshidarisi8400
      @vamshidarisi8400 8 ปีที่แล้ว +145

      +Thomas Pallister no i mean simon singh

    • @DoReMeDesign
      @DoReMeDesign 8 ปีที่แล้ว +53

      +Thomas Pallister u dun fukked up.

    • @PWNSdaily
      @PWNSdaily 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      +Vamshi Darisi L

    • @macdaddy2384
      @macdaddy2384 7 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Thomas Pallister lol, dumbass

  • @sofusjejlskovbrandt1254
    @sofusjejlskovbrandt1254 8 ปีที่แล้ว +837

    After Fermat's death he said "It's just a prank bro"

    • @-_Nuke_-
      @-_Nuke_- 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      hAHAHAHAAA best comment here!

    • @bradleylim993
      @bradleylim993 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Sofus Jejlskov Brandt Andrew wiles: Get rekted bro

    • @DSN.001
      @DSN.001 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      AFT"OR"BEFOR-E

    • @sreeharie821
      @sreeharie821 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Well jokes on him

    • @sasha-2574
      @sasha-2574 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yes, in fact he wrote that note on April 1st according to historians. Do some research bro!

  • @ThePeterDislikeShow
    @ThePeterDislikeShow 9 ปีที่แล้ว +250

    I still think Fermat had a simpler proof.

    • @050138
      @050138 4 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      Who knows!?

    • @الطاهرمحمدأحمد-م8ث
      @الطاهرمحمدأحمد-م8ث 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      I have simple proof

    • @EKDupre
      @EKDupre 3 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Hahaha. What a torturous rabbit hole to ponder.

    • @Gareth1892000
      @Gareth1892000 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      But like what video said, there might be a edge mistake in that proof.

    • @sergeyromanov2116
      @sergeyromanov2116 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Of course he had. It just was wrong.

  • @DarkestValar
    @DarkestValar 10 ปีที่แล้ว +406

    I have always been amazed about how Wiles fully dedicated so much time and effort into his passion. In my opinion, it is even beyond the dedication of olympic athletes and self-made millionaires. Within the realm of math Wiles showed that with enough determination you can solve a problem that 358 years worth of professional mathematician's could not. It has been a great motivation for me ever since i was 7 years old and read the news.

    • @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805
      @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 5 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      His perseverance, passion, determination were in another level. A true legend!

    • @elkronnie6500
      @elkronnie6500 4 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Took him 28 years, but by George, he did it

    • @peeper2070
      @peeper2070 3 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      Makes you wonder how many worked on lifelong projects secretly but died before it was revealed. 3 decades years is plenty of time for things to go downhill.

    • @akshay-kumar-007
      @akshay-kumar-007 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      He didn't do it from ground up though, the 358 years of failed attempts by others helped him in some way

    • @SimoneBellomonte
      @SimoneBellomonte ปีที่แล้ว

      @julw9138Then why isn’t everyone on earth a millionaire? Lol
      Anybody can be a mathematic but not everybody can be a billionaire.

  • @WhatforNameIsThat
    @WhatforNameIsThat 11 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    Simon Singh is a good story teller. Sometimes 9 minutes seem long for a video but he really was telling the story in a way that you wanted to know the end.

  • @TheOfficialDaBoogaloo
    @TheOfficialDaBoogaloo 5 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Simon Singh is quite possibly one of my favourite academics of all time.
    I read his book on Fermat's Last Theorem on a whim and ever since then have been a huge fan of his.

  • @hengkygunawan300
    @hengkygunawan300 8 ปีที่แล้ว +309

    I have proof that we're living in the matrix but I'm not suppose to texting while driving.

  • @FredSmith110
    @FredSmith110 5 ปีที่แล้ว +50

    An extraordinary true story, well told by Simon Singh. He conveys he excitement and tension of the events.

  • @TomaszWota
    @TomaszWota 9 ปีที่แล้ว +467

    I had the proof, but when writing it down I took an arrow to the knee...

    • @cheese3enjoyer
      @cheese3enjoyer 9 ปีที่แล้ว

      +Tomasz Wota (Xupicor) wow first arrow in the knee joke that isn't funny

    • @TomaszWota
      @TomaszWota 9 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Il XIHill Yesss. Job done, internet, job done. No need to thank me, I'll see myself out. ;)

    • @TheMoonRover
      @TheMoonRover 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I had the proof, but a settlement needed my help.

    • @Wikingking
      @Wikingking 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      Let's have some style and change the comment to "arrow notation" to the knee :)

    • @matthewludivico1714
      @matthewludivico1714 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      I used to work on Clay Institute problems like you, but then I took an arrow in the digit.

  • @Pl15604
    @Pl15604 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I could listen to this guy talk about Maths and History non stop. Why don't we have teachers like him?

  • @leofreitas4134
    @leofreitas4134 8 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    I've read his Simpsons book, it's incredible

  • @animamundii
    @animamundii 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    His Book about Fermat is one of the best books I've ever read. Can't recommend enough. Extremely easy to read, engaging and packed with information, I read it in two days.

  • @mridul303
    @mridul303 8 ปีที่แล้ว +390

    I can solve world hunger, but the world is too small.

    • @gravytopic
      @gravytopic 7 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      I can solve that one too! But in my case the world is too big.

    • @LevatekGaming
      @LevatekGaming 6 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Mridul Tiwary underrated comment cause f the world was bigger and had more resources That would solve world hunger

    • @internetsummoner
      @internetsummoner 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      James Evans comment of gold !

    • @InsideInterpreting
      @InsideInterpreting 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      We could solve it easily if people weren't so greedy.

    • @wetbadger2174
      @wetbadger2174 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      The solution is to grow more food

  • @pele7208
    @pele7208 8 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    Start by taking the partial derivative with respect to each variable and then...one second brb.

  • @philplante6524
    @philplante6524 5 ปีที่แล้ว +54

    Wiles' proof involved mathematics not known to Fermat. So if Fermat did have a proof, it was not the same proof that Wiles came up with. I tend to agree with the idea that Fermat thought he had a proof but probably it was invalid. Some of the great minds of math who came after Fermat all tried and failed to find a proof until Wiles.

    • @georgeice-u2m
      @georgeice-u2m ปีที่แล้ว

      they did not find the elementary way to prove pell's equation and how fermat splita 4k+1 primes in two squar numbers.

    • @georgeice-u2m
      @georgeice-u2m ปีที่แล้ว

      i like you to be present if i ever meet wiles to see how fun i make of him and his efforts .yes i envied him since he does not merit to be the one who discovered a proof.what about mr. ribet.?

  • @MunkyChunk
    @MunkyChunk 7 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Saw Simon do this speech in a lecture this evening! Absolutely fascinating... amazing stuff!!

  • @Oznej
    @Oznej 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    I'm so sad the bonus footage seems to have been made private, would love to see it.

  • @josephlagunes427
    @josephlagunes427 9 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I saw him today in my College doing a presentation he is amazing. I bought the The Simpsons and their mathematical secrets, and it was signed!

  • @theproplady
    @theproplady 9 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    You know, if I squint a bit, I can imagine it's Wez from "Mad Max 2" telling me about numbers, and that somehow makes it awesome....

    • @TDansVids
      @TDansVids 9 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      +theproplady or Vaas from Farcry 3

  • @nakamakai5553
    @nakamakai5553 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I've been following the literature of the Last Theorem for 40 years. I have chills.

  • @Leonardo-el6sq
    @Leonardo-el6sq 8 ปีที่แล้ว +72

    Professor Vaas teaching:
    "Have I ever told you the definition of a mathematical theorem??"

  • @VictorWaknin
    @VictorWaknin 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    My grandmother gave me his book when I was 12 years old. 8 years later I'm watching a video on which I found out to be the very author of the book being interviewed. This is so cool. Thank you for making videos Numberphile. You are awesome.

  • @TheConnor12500
    @TheConnor12500 7 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    This is far and away my favourite Numberphile video. The narrative is such a fascinating one which is told with such clarity and enthusiasm.

    • @philhoffmann7682
      @philhoffmann7682 ปีที่แล้ว

      Exactly right. We all know the end of the story but he tells it with such economy and passion. A win for the internet.

  • @ybra
    @ybra 9 ปีที่แล้ว +674

    Sounds like Fermat was just trolling "oh, I can prove this, but I'm not gonna write it down" yeah right :P
    Come to think of it; Hey guys I figured out the meaning of life, but I have to go feed the cat. Bye.

    • @liviuadrian92
      @liviuadrian92 9 ปีที่แล้ว +49

      Well the meaning of life isn't such a big deal, in fact is quite lets say uninteresting, but i won't write it down :D

    • @NoriMori1992
      @NoriMori1992 9 ปีที่แล้ว +61

      ybra Plot twist: The meaning of life is feeding cats.

    • @myguy200inventions
      @myguy200inventions 9 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I know the meaning of life :) 42 and the question is. Brb

    • @alanfalleur6550
      @alanfalleur6550 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      +ybra You got it. I think Pierre de Fermat was trolling people way before it became trendy.

    • @Max24871
      @Max24871 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      +myguy200inventions That's the answer, but what is the _real_ question?

  • @Tereb1
    @Tereb1 6 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I remember reading his book on this subject and how absolutely immersed i was in it. Still one of my favourites although it's been 10 years and although I'm in Humanities now.

  • @Hyraethian
    @Hyraethian 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Stark Trek brought me down this rabbit hole of over my head maths.
    Edit: i'm in tears that was the best joke i've heard in weeks.

  • @varunchaubey1514
    @varunchaubey1514 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I met Simon Singh yesterday - he gave a talk in my university in Bristol and I got my book signed. Really nice person, he is...

  • @miketambz7855
    @miketambz7855 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This guy is so good an explaining complex things in simple ways that’s understandable to a laymen. This video is testament to that and so is “The Code”. Really great communicator

  • @snootoo
    @snootoo 11 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Wow! I cant believe, you actually got Simon Singh on your channel. The guy who wrote the book 'Fermat's last theorem' , 'The Code Book' and a person who actually owns an enigma machine. Brilliant Brady, keep them coming!!

  • @anujankirupakaran5027
    @anujankirupakaran5027 7 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    i just realised this guy came to do a lecture at my school but me being the stubborn 11 year old didn't go. I regret it

    • @General12th
      @General12th 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      To be fair, at eleven years old, you probably wouldn't have gained much mathematical insight anyway. He was probably doing a motivational lecture.

  • @Snakeyes244
    @Snakeyes244 8 ปีที่แล้ว +79

    Why isn't there a movie about this?

    • @amirulfarhan8382
      @amirulfarhan8382 8 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      people cannot understand the movie

    • @MrKfadrat
      @MrKfadrat 8 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      +amirul farhan or director cant understand the script ;)

    • @1AMRamen
      @1AMRamen 8 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      +Snakeyes244 There was a documentary made on Andrew Wiles' proof.

    • @hansb1337
      @hansb1337 8 ปีที่แล้ว +86

      because a dvd would be to small to contain it....

    • @pepinilloloko2918
      @pepinilloloko2918 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      "La habitación de Fermat" (Fermat's room in spanish)

  • @johnsonguitarstudio
    @johnsonguitarstudio 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Piet Hein's Grooks are my favorite.
    Stomach ache may be a curse,
    Heartache may be even worse
    So thank heaven on your knees
    If you have but one of these

  • @frankbarzaga3090
    @frankbarzaga3090 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    At 9:30, the subtitled has “loathed (?)” in fact it should read “lauded.”

  • @DizzyForPigs
    @DizzyForPigs 9 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I'm suddenly wondering the following:
    In order to get the length of the hypotenuse of a one-dimensional line, you just measure it. a = a
    In order to get the length of the hypotenuse of a two-dimensional triangle, you take the two other sides, square them, add them together, and take the square root. a^2 + b^2 = c^2
    Now, what would you do in three dimensions? Simply tack on a third variable, and change those squares and square roots to cubes and cube roots. So now you have a^3 + b^3 + c^3 = d^3.
    My assumption is that somewhere, there exists some sets of four integers for which this is true. Am I matching the pattern wrong?

    • @Skellborn
      @Skellborn 9 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      Wrong. For three dimensions you get a third variable but the power stays 2. So a²+b²+c²=d²

    • @briansammond7801
      @briansammond7801 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The case for a^3 + b^3 + c^3 = d^3 has numerous solutions.
      Probably the simplest is 3^3 + 4^3 + 5^3 = 6^3, which you can readily check.
      Very similar to the 3,4,5 solution for the Pythagorean equation.
      What I would like to see is a proof of the minimum number of terms required for a given power n for the equation to be true.

  • @romzeek
    @romzeek 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Never listened so attentively to a math video before. Probably should read his book anyway.

  • @shugaroony
    @shugaroony 5 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    I've read Simon's book years ago on this and its a gripping read, fun and informative. There is also a Horizon BBC documentary here on TH-cam with Sir Andrew WIles retelling the story, and its one of the best Horizon's ever made to this day as its a wonderful insight into the process of how a scientific mind works through sometimes abstract problems.

  • @orcu
    @orcu 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I just finished Simon’s book. It was great! I took it from my father’s book shelf. I enjoyed it very much.

  • @AfaqueAhmed_
    @AfaqueAhmed_ 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    The example questions :- x^2 + y^2 = z^2 : find x, y . z .
    The exercise questions :-
    * I have the question but it is too small to fit in the comment box .*

  • @axeldurand8851
    @axeldurand8851 8 ปีที่แล้ว +182

    HE LOOKS LIKE VAAS IN FAR CRY 3 !!!

    • @cipryan96
      @cipryan96 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      lol. he does

    • @zarifsafwanhoque4127
      @zarifsafwanhoque4127 8 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      except much more intelligent

    • @marieq2431
      @marieq2431 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      racist

    • @phillarkin880
      @phillarkin880 7 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      have i ever told you the definition of Fermat’s Theorem?

    • @mynahification
      @mynahification 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      simon singh is british of indian origin.... vaas in far cry 3 looks like east european

  • @squeegie-beckenheim
    @squeegie-beckenheim 11 ปีที่แล้ว +144

    my aunt had a cat she named after fermat. the spelling? furmatt

  • @boomjonggol5757
    @boomjonggol5757 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    "It started with a ten year old child"
    I immediately thought of Gauss 😂😂😂

  • @elshan8587
    @elshan8587 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Still my favourite video on this channel and I'm sure I'm gonna come back again and again.

  • @brotherWesley
    @brotherWesley 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Don't know how I have managed to live my last 10 years without this episode. Thanks!

  • @georgedunn320
    @georgedunn320 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    "Lauded," not "loathed" (quite the opposite, actually.)
    "Slain," not "slained."
    "Piet Hein," not "Pete Hines."

  • @XMIR10C
    @XMIR10C 9 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I believe fermat had a simple proof. I think he reduced to the rational numbers ==> xexpn +yexpn = 1, where x,y in Q. if you graph this, it is bounded by a 1x1 square and a circle of radius 1, getting more squarish as n increases. then if you slice it into 2 parts, use integration to find the area under the 2 parts. go ahead - draw it on paper...

  • @nathanwailes
    @nathanwailes 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    This guy's a great storyteller

  • @justadude420
    @justadude420 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I know pretty much nothing about the complex math you guys do on this Chanel but this video was awesomely entertaining and well worth the watch !

  • @andrewxc1335
    @andrewxc1335 9 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    I find it likely that he thought he found the proof, but found a mistake.

    • @Ripcode2233891
      @Ripcode2233891 9 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      +andrewxc1335 If it were me in Wiles' shoes, I'd probably go "yeah, but if you ignore that part, it makes total sense!"

    • @annayosh
      @annayosh 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      +andrewxc1335 Yes, that is what I think too.

  • @EmphaticTrain
    @EmphaticTrain 5 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    "we cant prove Fermat's Last Theorem"
    Andrew wiles : hold my beer

    • @yuda49
      @yuda49 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Ha ha ha ha ha

  • @WojtekCzaderna
    @WojtekCzaderna 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    And this is a great example of how mathematics can be fascinating

  • @jeyendeoso
    @jeyendeoso 10 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Im reading Simon Singh's book now :) It has already been translated to brazilian portuguese

  • @shaz7768
    @shaz7768 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Simon Singh came to my school to give us a lecture, and it was amazing
    He worked with the Simpsons for a bit

  • @lox8031
    @lox8031 8 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    SOLVED! Do another video on it please :)

  • @sr528
    @sr528 10 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    7:53 I think he says "lauded" rather than "loathed"

  • @Alex-hq8ci
    @Alex-hq8ci 9 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    HEY NUMBERPHILE
    can you do a video on season 6 episode 10 of futurama"The prisoner of benda" the professor makes a machine that switches minds but once you switch you cant switch back. I would love to see the mathematics of how many other people it would take to return everyone to their original bodies.

    • @unnamedtheanonymous763
      @unnamedtheanonymous763 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      +Alex Kasantsidis 2 more, both if 'the body' can't switch again AND if 'the mind' can't switch again

  • @ultrio325
    @ultrio325 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    "Ayo finish your proofs"
    "Aight gotta finish these legal paperworks doe"
    *Last heard of 4 centuries ago*

  • @titotitoburg6298
    @titotitoburg6298 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Somebody make a movie, that was one of the coolest math stories i've heard.

  • @jasonli7883
    @jasonli7883 8 ปีที่แล้ว +62

    Make a video on the taniyama shimura conjecture pls!!!

    • @kalebbruwer
      @kalebbruwer 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I have NO IDEA what it is, but it sounds complicated.

    • @jasonli7883
      @jasonli7883 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Me neither that's why i want them to make a video lol

    • @TheSam1902
      @TheSam1902 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yeah, make a video, that sounds quite like a challenge !

    • @rivenoak
      @rivenoak 8 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      basically: prove Taniyama -Shimura and you got Femat covered too. Wiles used Taniyama-Shimura for his approach on Fermat's Theorem and solved both. :)

    • @E1craZ4life
      @E1craZ4life 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      There is a video with the guy who proved the link between Taniyama-Shimura and Fermat's Last Theorem, where he talks about that conjecture and how they were connected.

  • @fatpiecharson2082
    @fatpiecharson2082 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    2:46 pi on his forehead

  • @ruchirrawat8804
    @ruchirrawat8804 5 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    the dude bragged about having the proof when he didn't actually have one and made a silly reason of not having enough paper and when people found it was an excuse he just died

  • @henriquembotelho
    @henriquembotelho 11 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Recomendo a leitura do livro o Último Teorema de Fermat de Simon Singh.
    É um livro excelente com uma linguagem clara e fácil não necessitando de matemática avançada.

  • @bernardofitzpatrick5403
    @bernardofitzpatrick5403 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great stuff, Simon! Thanks!

  • @Skywalker-zu7od
    @Skywalker-zu7od 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    I want to sit and have a beer and a chat with Simon Singh so badly it actually hurts. Great video!

  • @cikif
    @cikif 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Plot twist: The statement "I have a marvelous proof of this theorem, which this margin is too narrow to contain." actually mathematically proves Fermat's Last Theorem. I don't know how, but Fermat must've known what he was talking about.

  • @andrew_owens7680
    @andrew_owens7680 8 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Samuel Clemens (pronounced in French) I don't think is the son of Fermat. It was really Uck Fin.

  • @denelson83
    @denelson83 10 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    That would be any *integer* bigger than two, actually.

    • @jyl123
      @jyl123 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      denelson83 show me a case where 3.5 would work

  • @nirajabcd
    @nirajabcd 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Fermat's Last Theorem is one of my favorite books on Math

  • @Gakulon
    @Gakulon 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    I think that it's absolutely beautiful that Fermat's proofs were being rediscovered past his drath by people who read the book.

  • @Polored1066
    @Polored1066 9 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    English is not my native language, so can somebody tell me if i figured out what the problem is: you can't find 3 whole numbers x, y and z, which verify x^n+y^n=z^n where n>2 ?
    If n=3, It means a number, which cubic root is a whole number, can't be the sum of 2 other such numbers?

    • @josiahtaylor2471
      @josiahtaylor2471 9 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      yes, thats the problem. not a single group of 3 integers can fulfill a^n+b^n=c^n. however, in math this isnt enough proof. Who knows, there might be an almost infinate group of numbers that fulfill this equation. Thats why an equation of geometric proof is required to prove all theorems

    • @wiamerrahj1908
      @wiamerrahj1908 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      What if x=1 and y=0?then z=1 which means theres a solution..

  • @TamasChannel
    @TamasChannel 7 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    i know how to solve world hunger but gtg to watch the new GoT episode

  • @oscarpalacios22
    @oscarpalacios22 9 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Have an answer for you? Yes. But you're not going to like it... 42

    • @chinmay1095
      @chinmay1095 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy 😁😁

  • @balbasoar3
    @balbasoar3 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I believe that in that theorem, including that n>2 is not the only condition. There is also x,y, and z cannot equal to zero. For it is simple to just say that 0^3+2^3=2^3.

    • @arnouth5260
      @arnouth5260 5 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      No, the second condition is that all numbers are different

  • @catedoge3206
    @catedoge3206 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    This channel is a gem.

  • @MrTohawk
    @MrTohawk 8 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    Andrew Wiles did eventually find the proof and got awarded the Abel Prize for it..

    • @rivenoak
      @rivenoak 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      and he's Sir Andrew Wiles by now.

    • @trevorcarl9515
      @trevorcarl9515 8 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      The video DID say he eventually found it...

  • @heresy_unfolding
    @heresy_unfolding 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    It's an amazing coincidence that Fermat's Last Theorem requires Andrew Wiles' Final Proof to be completely unlocked.

  • @6infinity8
    @6infinity8 8 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    nice haircut

  • @DynestiGTI
    @DynestiGTI 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    What's nice is that the final proof was a lot less chunky than the original; concise proofs are always more beautiful.

  • @1p4142136
    @1p4142136 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Fermat’s Last Theorem, I have that book. Also prime obsession among my favorites 👍❤️👍