The World's Most Famous Math Problem

From the Forward THIS IS NOT A math book. Instead, it's a book about math, about the possible end of a 350-year-long search and the start of a new one. Written for the non-mathematician, this book attempts to show the "queen of sciences" in a new way—as a science and as an art. You'll probably learn things about mathematics that you didn't know before—about its triumphs and failings, about its human aspects, and about its limits. Regardless of whether the new proof of Fermat's last theorem holds up under scrutiny, you'll learn how mathematics has thrown off the yoke of Euclid's legacy and ventured into the deepest waters of the imagination, whether for better or for worse. And you'll find it understandable to read, regardless of the extent of your mathematical education. Karl Rubin of Ohio State University, who received his Ph.D. from Harvard University under the supervision of Andrew Wiles, and who was in attendance at the meeting where Wiles presented his proof [...]of Fermat's last theorem, has generously allowed us to reprint his brief sketch of the highlights. (Rubin is best known for his work on elliptic curves, a special class of equations that play a fundamental role in the proof; he received the Cole Prize in Number Theory in 1992.) The sketch was sent through electronic mail to his math newsgroup following the last lecture, and we've left it intact in the appendix with all of its "you are there" charm, including the e-mail salutation and the translation idiosyncrasies, such as" instead of superscript. You'll find a not very plain English version of the proof in the text.