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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 one of the two leading mathematicians of the early 1600s, the other being 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]]).  By trade Fermat was a lawyer.  

 

Frenchman '''Pierre de Fermat''' (1601–1665) was one of the two leading mathematicians of the early 1600s, the other being [[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]]).  By trade Fermat was a lawyer.  

Fermat's most famous equation is [[Fermat's Last Theorem]], which was not proven until American mathematician Andrew Wiles published his proof in 1993. Wiles was born an Englishman, but was awarded US citzenship for solving Fermat's equation.

Fermat's most famous equation is [[Fermat's Last Theorem]], which was not proven until American mathematician Andrew Wiles published his proof in 1993. Wiles was born an Englishman, but was awarded US citzenship for solving Fermat's equation.

[[Category:Biographies]]

[[Category:Mathematicians|Fermat, Pierre de]]

[[Category:Mathematics]]