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[[Image:Pierre de Fermat.jpg|thumb|right|Pierre de Fermat]]

[[Image:Pierre de Fermat.jpg|thumb|right|Pierre de Fermat]]

Frenchman '''Pierre de Fermat''' (1601–1665) was the greatest mathematician of the 17th century,<ref>E.T. Bell, "Men of Mathematics" 56 (1937)</ref> and a contemporary of [[Rene Descartes]].  Fermat was a founder of the modern theory of numbers, discovered the fundamental principle of analytic geometry (independent of Descartes' work) and helped found the theory of probability (with [[Blaise Pascal]]).  Fermat discovered proof by [[infinite descent]].  [[Isaac Newton]] credited his discovery of [[differential calculus]] to the insight of Fermat in drawing tangents.<ref>''Ibid. at 64''</ref>  Fermat was [[homeschooled]] for his education.<ref>''Ibid.'' at 57.</ref>

Frenchman '''Pierre de Fermat''' (1601?–1665) was the greatest mathematician of the 17th century,<ref>E.T. Bell, "Men of Mathematics" 56 (1937)</ref> and a contemporary of [[Rene Descartes]].  Fermat was a founder of the modern theory of numbers, discovered the fundamental principle of analytic geometry (independent of Descartes' work) and helped found the theory of probability (with [[Blaise Pascal]]).  Fermat discovered proof by [[infinite descent]].  [[Isaac Newton]] credited his discovery of [[differential calculus]] to the insight of Fermat in drawing tangents.<ref>''Ibid. at 64''</ref>  Fermat was [[homeschooled]] for his education.<ref>''Ibid.'' at 57.</ref>

By trade Fermat was a lawyer, and he pursued [[mathematics]] purely as a hobby.  In that sense he is considered the greatest amateur [[mathematician]] ever.

By trade Fermat was a lawyer, and he pursued [[mathematics]] purely as a hobby.  In that sense he is considered the greatest amateur [[mathematician]] ever.