Pierre de Fermat was a French Mathematician who is famous for early developments on infinitesimal calculus. He is known for his technique of adequality. He also discovered the original method of finding the smallest and the greatest ordinates of curved lines. He is also famous for many of his other research works on number theory.
He also made great contributions in the field of probability, geometry, optics, and analytics. He is famous for his Fermat’s Last Theorem in number theory and Fermat’s principle for light propagation.
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Pierre de Fermat Life History
List of few significant events of Pierre de Fermat’s life is given below:
- He was born on 20 August 1601 in Beaumont-de-Lomagne.
- He has done his higher education in Collège de Navarre in Montauban.
- He joined the University of Orléans as a bachelor in civil law student in 1623.
- He got graduated from the University of Orléans as a bachelor in civil law in 1626.
- He started working as a French lawyer after he got graduated.
- He started focusing on his mathematical researches in 1629.
- He bought the councilor’s office in 1630.
- He got married to Louise de Long on 1 June 1631.
- He left his soul on 12 January 1665.
Pierre Fermat Books
Few of the famous books written by Pierre Fermat are:
- Writings on Geometrical Loci
- Methodus ad disquirendam maximam et minimam et de tangentibus linearum curvarum
- Varia opera mathematica
- Ad Locos Planos et Solidos Isagoge
- Methodus ad disquirendam maximam et minimam
- De tangentibus linearum curvarum
Contributions of Pierre de Fermat in Mathematics
Pierre Fermat has made a great contribution to the field of Mathematics. He researched on amicable numbers, Pell’s equation, perfect numbers. His work is now famously known as Fermat numbers. Fermat discovered Fermat’s little theorem while researching perfect numbers. He was the one who has introduced Fermat’s factorization method. He developed the polygonal number theorem and the two-square theorem.
Below is the list of the contributions he has done in the field of mathematics:
- Fermat‘s little theorem
- Fermat‘s Last Theorem
- Fermat‘s spiral
- Fermat‘s principle
- Fermat number
- Fermat‘s theorem
- Fermat‘s method
- Fermat‘s factorization method
- Fermat–Weber point
- Fermat‘s right triangle theorem
- Maxima and minima
- Fermat polygonal number theorem
- Fermat quotient
- Fermat cubic
- Fermat quintic threefold
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- Blaise Pascal was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, writer and Catholic theologian.
- Marie-Sophie Germain was a French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher.
Interesting facts about Pierre de Fermat
Few of the Interesting Records and Facts about Pierre Fermat are:
- He made advances in optics.
- He knew in six languages (French, Occitan, Latin, classical Greek, Italian and Latin)
- Fermat was a fantastic lawyer.
- He worked on the integral of general power functions. He was the first french mathematician to do that.
- He invented a new factorization method under his name. This method is called the Fermat factorization.
- Even though he was a great mathematician he used to draw inspiration from Diophantus(another mathematician)
Awards and Rewards under the name of Pierre de Fermat
Most of the mathematicians and scientists of various countries have valued Pierre de Fermat by facilitating him in different ways.
Here are few of the mathematicians and scientists did for him:
Fermat Prize
The Fermat Prize is awarded once every two years
to those who do the research works in fields of mathematics exclusively on the following topics:
- Analytic Geometry.
- Foundations of Probability
- Statements of variational principles
- Number theory.
Mathematicians and Scientists have named this prize as Fermat Prize in the year 1989.
Pierre Fermat medal
This medal is an award to anyone who does excellent inventions in the field of mathematics.
Junior Fermat Prize
This is a mathematical prize, awarded to a student every two years in the first four years of university for some great contribution in mathematics. The amount of the award is 2000 Euros.
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Quotes By Pierre de Fermat
Few of the famous Quotes by Pierre de Fermat:
I have discovered a truly remarkable proof of this theorem, which this margin is too small to contain.
There is scarcely anyone who states purely arithmetical questions, scarcely any who understands them. Is this not because arithmetic has been treated up to this time geometrically rather than arithmetically.
I propose this theorem to be proved or a problem to be solved. If they succeed in discovering the proof or solution, they will acknowledge that questions of this kind are not inferior to the more celebrated ones from geometry either for depth or difficulty or method of proof.
The result of my work has been the most extraordinary, the most unforeseen, and the happiest, that ever was; for, after having performed all the equations, multiplications, antitheses, and other operations of my method, and having finally finished the problem, I have found that my principle gives exactly and precisely the same proportion for the refractions which Monsieur Descartes has established.
Other Mathematicians Talking about Pierre de Fermat
Great Mathematicians and Scientists like Isaac Newton, Paul Tannery, J. Lagrange, and many others praised Pierre works.
I had a hint of this method from Fermat’s way of drawing tangents, and by applying it to abstract equations, directly and invertedly, I made it general.
Isaac Newton
Fermat is… honored with the invention of the differential calculus on account of his method of maxima and minima and of tangents, which, of the prior processes, is, in reality, the nearest to the algorithm of Leibniz; one could with equal justice, attribute to him the invention of the integral calculus.
Paul Tannery
One may regard Fermat as the first inventor of the new calculus
J. Lagrange
Fermat applied his method of tangents to many difficult problems. The method has the form of the now-standard method of differential calculus, though it begs the difficult theory of limits entirely.
Morris Kline
Fermat invented the calculus.
Florian Cajori
Fermat had recourse to the principle of the economy of nature.
Carl B. Boyer
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- Georg Friedrich Bernhard Riemann was a German mathematician
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Other Mathematicians like Pierre De Fermat
Just like Fermat, there is a mathematician from french whose work is famous worldwide. He is Pierre-Simon Laplace.
FAQ About Pierre De Fermat
What is Pierre Fermat most famous for?
He is famous for his many of his mathematical theories and methods he has introduced. His works, like fundamental ideas of calculus, have helped many mathematicians and scientists like Newton.
What was Pierre de Fermat’s education like?
From the University of Orléans, He has done his bachelor in civil law. Though he studied, he was more inclined towards mathematics. He used to go through the mathematical research papers whenever he used to get free.
When did Pierre de Fermat die?
Pierre de Fermat left this world on 12 January 1665.
What method did Fermat use to solve maximum-minimum problems?
To solve maximum-minimum problems, Pierre de Fermat used a technique called Adequality. Pierre de Fermat himself developed this technique in his treatise Methodus ad disquirendam maximam et minimam.
Who invented infinitesimal calculus?
Pierre Fermat has initially worked on calculus, which led towards the foundation of infinitesimal calculus.
Why is it called Fermat’s Last Theorem?
Pierre Fermat’s son has was first discovered Fermat’s famous Last Theorem. This is one of the last saved theorem and last works by Fermat.
Who proved Fermat’s Last Theorem?
Andrew Wiles, a Mathematics professor, has solved Fermat’s Last Theorem. He was rewarded for solving Fermat’s Last Theorem.
When was Fermat’s last theorem proved?
In 1994, Fermat’s last theorem was proved by Andrew Wiles.
