Fermat's Enigma: The Epic Quest to Solve the World's Greatest Mathematical Problem

click here for more details, find new or used items	Simon Singh, Simon Singit Used from £6.43 Pages: 336 (Paperback) ISBN: 0385493622 Pub: Anchor Books Pub date: 1998-10 Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 382298

Reader Reviews:

"brings new meaning to `page turner'" (0/0 people found this helpful)

This book brings new meaning to `page turner'. I could not put it down and finished reading the compact 336 page book the day after I got it (Yes... I spent the day reading it). Singh sets the scene with the journey of mathematics over the millennia from Pythagoras to Fermat to the proof by Andrew Wiles. With ease he provides simple explanations of the concepts involved in this adventure.

Above all he makes these legendary mathematicians, Pythagoras and Fermat into real people we can relate to as human beings. I think this is one of the key things academics and the like will tend to omit and this is what makes the book much more fun!

Entertaining (1/1 people found this helpful)

The author has narrated by exploring all the ways about the theorem from wide perspective. From Pythagoras to Taniyama-Shimura. We will really get an angst when we got a slightest thought of "oh is it one among the type of Godel's ? " come to our mind. This one thought will put a stop to millions. But Wiles's quest is so pure and so bold which Achieved result having intricate beauty. And this book presents a lay reader a superb narration of that quest with simple concepts.

Great, very entertaining book! (0/0 people found this helpful)

This is a very good book on the history of the Fermat Last Theorem. I could not put it down! The level of maths used through the text is kept simple and the appendices presenting diverse proves are very useful. But, most of all, the struggling to solve this problem for more than 350 years including the 8 years spent by Andrew Wiles is just very well presented. This is quite entertaining too! Highly recommended!!!

Fantastic Book (0/0 people found this helpful)

I immensely enjoyed this book. I don't know much about mathematics but it explained everything in a fashion that was both understandable as well as enjoyable. I highly recommened this book to armchair mathmeticians as well as experienced ones :)

A page turner for the mathmatically challanged (0/0 people found this helpful)

This book resparked my interest in math and science. The breakthroughs mentioned as the history of number theory and Fermat's Last Theorem are described are the best examples available of pure thought. Singh takes you sequentially through the major steps of number theory and then through the important pieces to solving the Last Theorem in a way that is engaging and exciting. You find yourself hungry to know how the next mathmatician adds to the puzzle. Plus, a genuine and successful effort is made to explain the mathmatical concepts presented with examples and appendices. These explanations are not patronizing, as I had expected them to be, but are fascinating and clear; enhancing my enjoyment of the book all the more. If you have an inquisitive nature and love to see the capabilities of the human mind, read this book.

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