Fermat's Last Theorem - Numberphile

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  • Опубліковано 2 лют 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 2,9 тис.

  • @charmelonchannel
    @charmelonchannel 4 роки тому +5262

    "The proof is trivial and left as an exercise to the reader."
    The proof:

    • @detectivemarkseven
      @detectivemarkseven 3 роки тому +67

      Typical 🤣

    • @jackblack5082
      @jackblack5082 3 роки тому +86

      this hits so hard ... literally my EM physics lecturer use to do this for half the course

    • @JW-zs1ik
      @JW-zs1ik 3 роки тому +15

      Fr lol 😂

    • @archockencanto1645
      @archockencanto1645 2 роки тому +8

      Well there can be other proofs which just require creativity that's probably 2-3 pages long and simple.

    • @deleted-something
      @deleted-something 2 роки тому +2

      Ye

  • @carultch
    @carultch 9 років тому +4897

    Had Fermat never heard of the concept of GETTING ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER?

    • @vvalph9483
      @vvalph9483 7 років тому +641

      It seems that concept was far too complex during his age. It's probably harder than the Theorem itself.

    • @dr.spectre9697
      @dr.spectre9697 6 років тому +51

      I thought they used vellum back then not paper

    • @Awss-qy9dk
      @Awss-qy9dk 5 років тому +12

      Wooooosh

    • @jamirimaj6880
      @jamirimaj6880 5 років тому +137

      Of course he heard the concept. Bet you never heard of this another concept of "Maybe he's lying all along and it's just a conjecture of his and relies on other people to prove it because he has no proof all this time"

    • @gadrill4285
      @gadrill4285 5 років тому +72

      There just wasn't enough brown paper.
      Truly a travesty.

  • @alextrusk1986
    @alextrusk1986 10 років тому +5981

    fermat was the ultimate troll of academia

    • @Eonions
      @Eonions 9 років тому +75

      +Alex Trusk Or a psychopath and a master in manipulation !

    • @pringelsthegamefreak
      @pringelsthegamefreak 7 років тому +8

      Alex Trusk lol

    • @TheMoonRover
      @TheMoonRover 7 років тому +44

      Yeah, because 3987^12 + 4365^12 = 4472^12

    • @gamerdio2503
      @gamerdio2503 7 років тому +53

      TheMoonRover It isn't correct, it is ALMOST correct, but it isn't

    • @TheMoonRover
      @TheMoonRover 7 років тому +45

      I know. It was a joke as to *why* Fermat was trolling (see original comment).

  • @ian_b
    @ian_b 9 років тому +10262

    I have a most wonderful proof of the Reimann Hypothesis. Sadly, this comment box is too small to fit it in.

    • @Whatsth3b1g1d3a
      @Whatsth3b1g1d3a 9 років тому +510

      +jaxxstraw Aww man.... I was really looking forward to seeing an ASCII zeta function

    • @omegasrevenge
      @omegasrevenge 8 років тому +528

      Damn, there goes my free time for the next 7 years :/

    • @legitgopnik8431
      @legitgopnik8431 7 років тому +215

      Don't die on us now!

    • @ym-wi3cp
      @ym-wi3cp 7 років тому +55

      +Squilliam Fancyson not sure what a ASCII zeta function is but it sure sounds sexy

    • @josecasillas4081
      @josecasillas4081 7 років тому +65

      This aint twitter, you aren't limited. Do tell lol.

  • @thodkats
    @thodkats 8 років тому +3313

    When i was 17 years old, my mathematician bought me a book called : Fermat's Last Theorem. It was by far the best book I 've ever read to this day. Today i see this video from Numberphille, and i realize that the author of that very book, is the guy in the video above : Simon Singh. Needless to say that I am speechless.

    • @xenopheliac7202
      @xenopheliac7202 7 років тому +698

      You had your own mathematician? Nice. :)

    • @epicguyusa5841
      @epicguyusa5841 7 років тому +56

      Have you read his book about the mathematical references in the Simpsons. I never quite finished but it is still sitting on my shelf

    • @AvinashtheIyerHaHaLOL
      @AvinashtheIyerHaHaLOL 7 років тому +6

      thodkats is legendary

    • @salahudinsmailagic6763
      @salahudinsmailagic6763 6 років тому +8

      Same thing happened to me, I realized it today.

    • @darrenjones9359
      @darrenjones9359 6 років тому +3

      Needles to say...

  • @ferrishthefish
    @ferrishthefish 9 років тому +1604

    "For seven years Andrew Wiles worked on this problem in complete secrecy."
    DID YOU NOT LEARN WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU WORK ON PROBLEMS IN SECRECY THE FIRST TIME?!?

    • @fossilfighters101
      @fossilfighters101 7 років тому +9

      +++

    • @gamestarz2001
      @gamestarz2001 7 років тому +422

      Then he finally found the proof, so he wrote on a piece of paper "paper too small for proof" and tragically passed away.

    • @prajnaprajna1923
      @prajnaprajna1923 6 років тому +11

      I was also a sleeping person for solving this three-letter problem. Fermat ask question in the 3-letter disequation :x^n+y^n=/z^n. I answer:
      x^(n/2)+y^(n/2)+delta=z^(n/2 ) Because they are not the same so
      there is no solution about integer.

    • @B_Bodziak
      @B_Bodziak 6 років тому +48

      @@prajnaprajna1923 WHY do you have this exact comment posted SO MANY times in the comments’ section of this video?

    • @chopun3862
      @chopun3862 5 років тому +8

      Probs wanted all credit for himself

  • @Putzq
    @Putzq 5 років тому +1545

    Fermat was also right in that the margin was too small to contain the proof.

    • @aradhya_purohit
      @aradhya_purohit 3 роки тому +5

      69th like

    • @scipionedelferro
      @scipionedelferro 3 роки тому +17

      This is the most underrated comments of all. Fantastic!

    • @SirMo
      @SirMo 2 роки тому +16

      Quite a fellow Fermat was. Right about everything.

    • @merajshaikh5060
      @merajshaikh5060 2 роки тому +1

      Mdmerajshaikh

    • @desirapbeats6564
      @desirapbeats6564 2 роки тому +11

      17th century proofs are mostly non mathematical they prove it mostly using geometry that must have been beautiful .

  • @usergroupX
    @usergroupX 10 років тому +2811

    I'VE GOT THE PROOF!! ... but I gotta go return some dvds to blockbuster :(

    • @bethkruse3103
      @bethkruse3103 9 років тому +20

      ***** strange the answer was easy, but I am lost on how to post it. so please click on my name.

    • @Raj_Theron
      @Raj_Theron 9 років тому +4

      v

    • @jazzmetal500
      @jazzmetal500 9 років тому +111

      "I have to return some videotapes"

    • @Memorex996
      @Memorex996 7 років тому +7

      i got it, but i can't explain it. to complex for you mortals to understand

    • @useresu301
      @useresu301 7 років тому +6

      Be careful when you cross the street.

  • @jmiquelmb
    @jmiquelmb 9 років тому +2178

    The correct explanation is always the easiest one. Fermat was an alien/time traveller who used his superior knowledge in mathematics to spark human curiosity and help our primitive civilization to discover new branches of mathematics. He didn't show the proofs to not interphere too much with human history. Thats why all their hyphotheses were correct. Occam's razor, guys.

  • @hexa3389
    @hexa3389 5 років тому +151

    LIFE HACKS: next time you get an exam saying "show your work" write "this paper is too small to contain it".

  • @spartnstarcraft2
    @spartnstarcraft2 11 років тому +2080

    i am so shocked at how well this guys pulls off that hair

    • @khadijahflowers5566
      @khadijahflowers5566 7 років тому +34

      spartnstarcraft2 He reminds me of the main antagonist from Outlast: Whistleblower , Eddie Gluskin 😂😂 I still love him though 😊

    • @cluckendip
      @cluckendip 6 років тому +62

      Literally pulling it off.

    • @mator2339
      @mator2339 5 років тому +40

      Taxi driver style mohawk.

    • @akumar7366
      @akumar7366 5 років тому +1

      LOVE YOUR COMMENT KIND OF FAMILY GUY LIKE.

    • @TheSpiritedGamer
      @TheSpiritedGamer 4 роки тому +15

      Not gonna lie, I thought it was Maynard James Keenan at first

  • @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805
    @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 4 роки тому +307

    Take a bow Andrew Wiles. He found his passion so early and worked hard and didn't stop until he solved the problem. A true inspiration

    • @adzaaahhh
      @adzaaahhh 2 роки тому +4

      Agreed. I like to think he's a distant relative - my grandfather, a decorated D-Day veteran, was named Thomas Wiles. I understand the mighty mental magnitude of what he did but consider myself to be a mere muppet in comparison to both of the aforementioned.

    • @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805
      @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 2 роки тому +2

      @@adzaaahhh wow that's something! You must have so many stories from your grandfather about the war. Huge respect for both of them!

    • @adzaaahhh
      @adzaaahhh 2 роки тому +1

      @@soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 Unfortunately he passed away when I was 2 years old so never got to know him or hear any of his war stories firsr-hand. According to my parents, he never liked to talk about it anyway as he was quite traumatised by the memory. In truth, I doubt there's any close link between the two men other than the same surname, and their sheer dogged determination (in different ways of course).

    • @georgeice-u2m
      @georgeice-u2m Рік тому

      all his efort to proof FLT was in vain.HE lack the genius and chose the nerd way to find a proof. if i can present my two
      elementary proofs of fLT the world would see that his efort was in vain.

    • @georgeice-u2m
      @georgeice-u2m Рік тому

      with a lot of perspiration

  • @matthewjackson9615
    @matthewjackson9615 8 років тому +95

    Wiles provided the correct proof to Fermat's Last Theorem which was the greatest achievement in modern mathematical history. Yet, outside of academic circles , no one knows who he is. It was still one hell of an accomplishment as far as I'm concerned.

    • @Serquest
      @Serquest 8 років тому +1

      Matthew Jackson but he was wrong

    • @veerleswartebroekx6816
      @veerleswartebroekx6816 8 років тому +14

      Did you not watch until the end? He found the proof eventually.

    • @veerleswartebroekx6816
      @veerleswartebroekx6816 8 років тому +2

      What do you mean different? In the video both the flawed attempt of proof was talked about as well a the correct one Andrew Whiles delivered.

    • @georgeice4389
      @georgeice4389 4 роки тому +1

      @Matew Jackson : you say:"the greatest achievement in modern mathematical history". I am saying so much overrated

  • @willmcpherson2
    @willmcpherson2 6 років тому +226

    "I was sitting at my desk examining the Kolyvagin-Flach method. It wasn't that I believed I could make it work, but I thought that at least I could explain why it didn’t work. Suddenly I had this incredible revelation. I realised that, the Kolyvagin-Flach method wasn't working, but it was all I needed to make my original Iwasawa theory work from three years earlier. So out of the ashes of Kolyvagin-Flach seemed to rise the true answer to the problem. It was so indescribably beautiful; it was so simple and so elegant. I couldn't understand how I'd missed it and I just stared at it in disbelief for twenty minutes. Then during the day I walked around the department, and I'd keep coming back to my desk looking to see if it was still there. It was still there. I couldn't contain myself, I was so excited. It was the most important moment of my working life. Nothing I ever do again will mean as much."
    - Andrew Wiles

    • @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805
      @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 5 років тому +20

      He showed one can do anything he likes if he possesses the proper passion, perseverance, determination. This guy literally wasted(irony intended) half of his life to prove the theorem and he succeeded. What a legend!

    • @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805
      @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 5 років тому +10

      He is a legend!

  • @karldavis7392
    @karldavis7392 9 років тому +2388

    I like it when n=1. :-)

    • @robin-vt1qj
      @robin-vt1qj 9 років тому +104

      1 + 1 = 1 right noooob

    • @llollercoaster
      @llollercoaster 9 років тому +228

      +robin van Sint Annaland n=1 results in the formula a+b=c....

    • @karldavis7392
      @karldavis7392 9 років тому +87

      +robin van Sint Annaland n=1 makes a^1+b^1=c^1. I bet I can find a solution, like a=3, b=4, c=7. 3+4=7. :-) Of course I'm just being silly, the mathematicians here are real geniuses and I totally respect them.

    • @colonelmustard7718
      @colonelmustard7718 9 років тому +20

      +robin van Sint Annaland n is the index...

    • @robin-vt1qj
      @robin-vt1qj 9 років тому +4

      +Colonel Mustard i know but is abc is 1 as well aaaaa........

  • @DawsJosh
    @DawsJosh 10 років тому +318

    Brady, I've just realized, I've probably seen most of the videos you've posted and I've never commented... Thanks for making videos, dude.

    • @prajnaprajna1923
      @prajnaprajna1923 6 років тому +1

      I was also a sleeping person for solving this three-letter problem.
      Fermat ask question in the 3-letter disequation :x^n+y^n=/z^n. I answer:
      x^(n/2)+y^(n/2)+delta=z^(n/2 ) Because they are not the same so
      there is no solution about integer. yes, Fermat is crazy

  • @YamiPanda
    @YamiPanda 9 років тому +668

    Fermat would really suck at twitter.

  • @tristramgordon8252
    @tristramgordon8252 5 років тому +65

    Few years ago, BBC television (UK) made a programme with him explaining all about the humongous amount of work and isolation he endured to solve this problem, truly astonishing programme.

    • @WebeloZappBrannigan
      @WebeloZappBrannigan 2 роки тому +10

      The programme in question is an episode of the "Horizon" series called "Fermat's Last Theorem", and it was directed by some bloke called Simon Singh.
      At the time of writing (2022-09-25), it's available on BBC iPlayer.

  • @ihathtelekinesis
    @ihathtelekinesis 8 років тому +196

    Wiles's original paper was a bit of a Parker square.

    • @prajnaprajna1923
      @prajnaprajna1923 6 років тому +1

      I was also a sleeping person for solving this three-letter problem.
      Fermat ask question in the 3-letter disequation :x^n+y^n=/z^n. I answer:
      x^(n/2)+y^(n/2)+delta=z^(n/2 ) Because they are not the same so
      there is no solution about integer. yes, Fermat is crazy

    • @varlam1568
      @varlam1568 6 років тому +25

      @@prajnaprajna1923 your method and statement is wrong. There are solutions when n=1 and n=2.

  • @sofusjejlskovbrandt1254
    @sofusjejlskovbrandt1254 8 років тому +842

    After Fermat's death he said "It's just a prank bro"

    • @-_Nuke_-
      @-_Nuke_- 8 років тому +6

      hAHAHAHAAA best comment here!

    • @bradleylim993
      @bradleylim993 7 років тому +4

      Sofus Jejlskov Brandt Andrew wiles: Get rekted bro

    • @DSN.001
      @DSN.001 6 років тому

      AFT"OR"BEFOR-E

    • @sreeharie821
      @sreeharie821 4 роки тому +1

      Well jokes on him

    • @sasha-2574
      @sasha-2574 3 роки тому +2

      Yes, in fact he wrote that note on April 1st according to historians. Do some research bro!

  • @aeroscience9834
    @aeroscience9834 10 років тому +494

    Haha, and in Star Trek TNG, they were talking about how it still had not been proven in the 24th century. I guess they should have waited a few years.

    • @zwz.zdenek
      @zwz.zdenek 9 років тому +8

      +Aeroscience ...Or this proof will be found to be wrong and unfixable.

    • @lastvatican1976
      @lastvatican1976 8 років тому +43

      In March 2016, Wiles was awarded the Norwegian government's Abel prize worth €600,000 for "for his stunning proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem by way of the modularity conjecture for semistable elliptic curves, opening a new era in number theory."

    • @lastvatican1976
      @lastvatican1976 8 років тому +19

      The two papers were vetted and published as the entirety of the May 1995 issue of the Annals of Mathematics. These papers established the modularity theorem for semistable elliptic curves, the last step in proving Fermat's Last Theorem, 358 years after it was conjectured.

    • @lastvatican1976
      @lastvatican1976 8 років тому +5

      i know its copy paste(my statement was taken from wikipedia) but its already proven which mean that from conjecture to theorem... u get it??? the theorem had already being checked... he even got award for it... zzz

    • @zwz.zdenek
      @zwz.zdenek 8 років тому +2

      You are driven by wishful thinking. There is only a handful of mathematicians worldwide who may have what it takes to understand the proof. Even they don't have much information about the new knowledge invented in the proof. So little manpower and so much area for errors warrants suspicion.
      I'd like humanity to progress as much as the next guy, but having the hegemon solved single-handedly by an unknown professor is just not something I will buy into in a hurry.

  • @DarkestValar
    @DarkestValar 10 років тому +407

    I have always been amazed about how Wiles fully dedicated so much time and effort into his passion. In my opinion, it is even beyond the dedication of olympic athletes and self-made millionaires. Within the realm of math Wiles showed that with enough determination you can solve a problem that 358 years worth of professional mathematician's could not. It has been a great motivation for me ever since i was 7 years old and read the news.

    • @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805
      @soumyasishbhattacharyya2805 5 років тому +21

      His perseverance, passion, determination were in another level. A true legend!

    • @elkronnie6500
      @elkronnie6500 4 роки тому +10

      Took him 28 years, but by George, he did it

    • @peeper2070
      @peeper2070 3 роки тому +22

      Makes you wonder how many worked on lifelong projects secretly but died before it was revealed. 3 decades years is plenty of time for things to go downhill.

    • @akshay-kumar-007
      @akshay-kumar-007 2 роки тому +9

      He didn't do it from ground up though, the 358 years of failed attempts by others helped him in some way

    • @SimoneBellomonte
      @SimoneBellomonte Рік тому

      @julw9138Then why isn’t everyone on earth a millionaire? Lol
      Anybody can be a mathematic but not everybody can be a billionaire.

  • @probablynotsatanic66
    @probablynotsatanic66 10 років тому +721

    This guy looks so steampunk.

  • @vamshidarisi8400
    @vamshidarisi8400 9 років тому +331

    he came to my school, and he signed my fermat book

    • @ChaiKirbs
      @ChaiKirbs 9 років тому +34

      +Vamshi Darisi Fermat died in January....... of 1665. Someone call Guiness World records, we have a new world's oldest person!!

    • @vamshidarisi8400
      @vamshidarisi8400 9 років тому +147

      +Thomas Pallister no i mean simon singh

    • @DoReMeDesign
      @DoReMeDesign 8 років тому +53

      +Thomas Pallister u dun fukked up.

    • @PWNSdaily
      @PWNSdaily 8 років тому +4

      +Vamshi Darisi L

    • @macdaddy2384
      @macdaddy2384 7 років тому +10

      Thomas Pallister lol, dumbass

  • @TheOfficialDaBoogaloo
    @TheOfficialDaBoogaloo 5 років тому +14

    Simon Singh is quite possibly one of my favourite academics of all time.
    I read his book on Fermat's Last Theorem on a whim and ever since then have been a huge fan of his.

  • @FredSmith110
    @FredSmith110 5 років тому +50

    An extraordinary true story, well told by Simon Singh. He conveys he excitement and tension of the events.

  • @hengkygunawan300
    @hengkygunawan300 8 років тому +310

    I have proof that we're living in the matrix but I'm not suppose to texting while driving.

  • @WhatforNameIsThat
    @WhatforNameIsThat 11 років тому +19

    Simon Singh is a good story teller. Sometimes 9 minutes seem long for a video but he really was telling the story in a way that you wanted to know the end.

  • @TheConnor12500
    @TheConnor12500 7 років тому +13

    This is far and away my favourite Numberphile video. The narrative is such a fascinating one which is told with such clarity and enthusiasm.

    • @philhoffmann7682
      @philhoffmann7682 Рік тому

      Exactly right. We all know the end of the story but he tells it with such economy and passion. A win for the internet.

  • @ThePeterDislikeShow
    @ThePeterDislikeShow 9 років тому +253

    I still think Fermat had a simpler proof.

  • @TomaszWota
    @TomaszWota 10 років тому +468

    I had the proof, but when writing it down I took an arrow to the knee...

    • @cheese3enjoyer
      @cheese3enjoyer 9 років тому

      +Tomasz Wota (Xupicor) wow first arrow in the knee joke that isn't funny

    • @TomaszWota
      @TomaszWota 9 років тому +9

      Il XIHill Yesss. Job done, internet, job done. No need to thank me, I'll see myself out. ;)

    • @TheMoonRover
      @TheMoonRover 7 років тому +5

      I had the proof, but a settlement needed my help.

    • @Wikingking
      @Wikingking 6 років тому

      Let's have some style and change the comment to "arrow notation" to the knee :)

    • @matthewludivico1714
      @matthewludivico1714 6 років тому

      I used to work on Clay Institute problems like you, but then I took an arrow in the digit.

  • @MunkyChunk
    @MunkyChunk 7 років тому +9

    Saw Simon do this speech in a lecture this evening! Absolutely fascinating... amazing stuff!!

  • @leofreitas4134
    @leofreitas4134 8 років тому +39

    I've read his Simpsons book, it's incredible

  • @Pl15604
    @Pl15604 Рік тому +6

    I could listen to this guy talk about Maths and History non stop. Why don't we have teachers like him?

  • @animamundii
    @animamundii 4 роки тому +11

    His Book about Fermat is one of the best books I've ever read. Can't recommend enough. Extremely easy to read, engaging and packed with information, I read it in two days.

  • @ybra
    @ybra 10 років тому +674

    Sounds like Fermat was just trolling "oh, I can prove this, but I'm not gonna write it down" yeah right :P
    Come to think of it; Hey guys I figured out the meaning of life, but I have to go feed the cat. Bye.

    • @liviuadrian92
      @liviuadrian92 10 років тому +49

      Well the meaning of life isn't such a big deal, in fact is quite lets say uninteresting, but i won't write it down :D

    • @NoriMori1992
      @NoriMori1992 9 років тому +61

      ybra Plot twist: The meaning of life is feeding cats.

    • @myguy200inventions
      @myguy200inventions 9 років тому +7

      I know the meaning of life :) 42 and the question is. Brb

    • @alanfalleur6550
      @alanfalleur6550 9 років тому +1

      +ybra You got it. I think Pierre de Fermat was trolling people way before it became trendy.

    • @Max24871
      @Max24871 9 років тому +1

      +myguy200inventions That's the answer, but what is the _real_ question?

  • @mridul303
    @mridul303 8 років тому +391

    I can solve world hunger, but the world is too small.

    • @gravytopic
      @gravytopic 7 років тому +20

      I can solve that one too! But in my case the world is too big.

    • @LevatekGaming
      @LevatekGaming 6 років тому +4

      Mridul Tiwary underrated comment cause f the world was bigger and had more resources That would solve world hunger

    • @internetsummoner
      @internetsummoner 5 років тому

      James Evans comment of gold !

    • @InsideInterpreting
      @InsideInterpreting 4 роки тому +1

      We could solve it easily if people weren't so greedy.

    • @wetbadger2174
      @wetbadger2174 4 роки тому

      The solution is to grow more food

  • @snootoo
    @snootoo 11 років тому +6

    Wow! I cant believe, you actually got Simon Singh on your channel. The guy who wrote the book 'Fermat's last theorem' , 'The Code Book' and a person who actually owns an enigma machine. Brilliant Brady, keep them coming!!

  • @VictorWaknin
    @VictorWaknin 7 років тому +1

    My grandmother gave me his book when I was 12 years old. 8 years later I'm watching a video on which I found out to be the very author of the book being interviewed. This is so cool. Thank you for making videos Numberphile. You are awesome.

  • @miketambz7855
    @miketambz7855 2 роки тому +2

    This guy is so good an explaining complex things in simple ways that’s understandable to a laymen. This video is testament to that and so is “The Code”. Really great communicator

  • @Leonardo-el6sq
    @Leonardo-el6sq 9 років тому +72

    Professor Vaas teaching:
    "Have I ever told you the definition of a mathematical theorem??"

  • @Tereb1
    @Tereb1 6 років тому +6

    I remember reading his book on this subject and how absolutely immersed i was in it. Still one of my favourites although it's been 10 years and although I'm in Humanities now.

  • @nakamakai5553
    @nakamakai5553 6 років тому +3

    I've been following the literature of the Last Theorem for 40 years. I have chills.

  • @orcu
    @orcu 10 місяців тому +2

    I just finished Simon’s book. It was great! I took it from my father’s book shelf. I enjoyed it very much.

  • @justadude420
    @justadude420 8 років тому

    I know pretty much nothing about the complex math you guys do on this Chanel but this video was awesomely entertaining and well worth the watch !

  • @theproplady
    @theproplady 10 років тому +18

    You know, if I squint a bit, I can imagine it's Wez from "Mad Max 2" telling me about numbers, and that somehow makes it awesome....

    • @TDansVids
      @TDansVids 9 років тому +3

      +theproplady or Vaas from Farcry 3

  • @josephlagunes427
    @josephlagunes427 9 років тому +7

    I saw him today in my College doing a presentation he is amazing. I bought the The Simpsons and their mathematical secrets, and it was signed!

  • @EmphaticTrain
    @EmphaticTrain 5 років тому +29

    "we cant prove Fermat's Last Theorem"
    Andrew wiles : hold my beer

    • @yuda49
      @yuda49 4 роки тому +1

      Ha ha ha ha ha

  • @elshan8587
    @elshan8587 5 років тому +1

    Still my favourite video on this channel and I'm sure I'm gonna come back again and again.

  • @anujankirupakaran5027
    @anujankirupakaran5027 7 років тому +37

    i just realised this guy came to do a lecture at my school but me being the stubborn 11 year old didn't go. I regret it

    • @General12th
      @General12th 4 роки тому +8

      To be fair, at eleven years old, you probably wouldn't have gained much mathematical insight anyway. He was probably doing a motivational lecture.

  • @Hyraethian
    @Hyraethian 4 роки тому +6

    Stark Trek brought me down this rabbit hole of over my head maths.
    Edit: i'm in tears that was the best joke i've heard in weeks.

  • @Oznej
    @Oznej 10 місяців тому +5

    I'm so sad the bonus footage seems to have been made private, would love to see it.

  • @boomjonggol5757
    @boomjonggol5757 5 років тому +10

    "It started with a ten year old child"
    I immediately thought of Gauss 😂😂😂

  • @varunchaubey1514
    @varunchaubey1514 8 років тому

    I met Simon Singh yesterday - he gave a talk in my university in Bristol and I got my book signed. Really nice person, he is...

  • @philplante6524
    @philplante6524 5 років тому +56

    Wiles' proof involved mathematics not known to Fermat. So if Fermat did have a proof, it was not the same proof that Wiles came up with. I tend to agree with the idea that Fermat thought he had a proof but probably it was invalid. Some of the great minds of math who came after Fermat all tried and failed to find a proof until Wiles.

    • @georgeice-u2m
      @georgeice-u2m Рік тому

      they did not find the elementary way to prove pell's equation and how fermat splita 4k+1 primes in two squar numbers.

    • @georgeice-u2m
      @georgeice-u2m Рік тому

      i like you to be present if i ever meet wiles to see how fun i make of him and his efforts .yes i envied him since he does not merit to be the one who discovered a proof.what about mr. ribet.?

  • @shugaroony
    @shugaroony 5 років тому +18

    I've read Simon's book years ago on this and its a gripping read, fun and informative. There is also a Horizon BBC documentary here on UA-cam with Sir Andrew WIles retelling the story, and its one of the best Horizon's ever made to this day as its a wonderful insight into the process of how a scientific mind works through sometimes abstract problems.

  • @johnsonguitarstudio
    @johnsonguitarstudio 6 років тому +5

    Piet Hein's Grooks are my favorite.
    Stomach ache may be a curse,
    Heartache may be even worse
    So thank heaven on your knees
    If you have but one of these

  • @brotherWesley
    @brotherWesley 9 місяців тому

    Don't know how I have managed to live my last 10 years without this episode. Thanks!

  • @Snakeyes244
    @Snakeyes244 8 років тому +79

    Why isn't there a movie about this?

    • @amirulfarhan8382
      @amirulfarhan8382 8 років тому +34

      people cannot understand the movie

    • @MrKfadrat
      @MrKfadrat 8 років тому +13

      +amirul farhan or director cant understand the script ;)

    • @1AMRamen
      @1AMRamen 8 років тому +14

      +Snakeyes244 There was a documentary made on Andrew Wiles' proof.

    • @hansb1337
      @hansb1337 8 років тому +86

      because a dvd would be to small to contain it....

    • @pepinilloloko2918
      @pepinilloloko2918 8 років тому +3

      "La habitación de Fermat" (Fermat's room in spanish)

  • @axeldurand8851
    @axeldurand8851 9 років тому +182

    HE LOOKS LIKE VAAS IN FAR CRY 3 !!!

    • @cipryan96
      @cipryan96 8 років тому +4

      lol. he does

    • @zarifsafwanhoque4127
      @zarifsafwanhoque4127 8 років тому +15

      except much more intelligent

    • @marieq2431
      @marieq2431 8 років тому +2

      racist

    • @phillarkin880
      @phillarkin880 7 років тому +11

      have i ever told you the definition of Fermat’s Theorem?

    • @mynahification
      @mynahification 6 років тому

      simon singh is british of indian origin.... vaas in far cry 3 looks like east european

  • @andrewxc1335
    @andrewxc1335 9 років тому +22

    I find it likely that he thought he found the proof, but found a mistake.

    • @Ripcode2233891
      @Ripcode2233891 9 років тому +7

      +andrewxc1335 If it were me in Wiles' shoes, I'd probably go "yeah, but if you ignore that part, it makes total sense!"

    • @annayosh
      @annayosh 9 років тому

      +andrewxc1335 Yes, that is what I think too.

  • @cikif
    @cikif 3 роки тому +3

    Plot twist: The statement "I have a marvelous proof of this theorem, which this margin is too narrow to contain." actually mathematically proves Fermat's Last Theorem. I don't know how, but Fermat must've known what he was talking about.

  • @bernardofitzpatrick5403
    @bernardofitzpatrick5403 8 років тому +1

    Great stuff, Simon! Thanks!

  • @pele7208
    @pele7208 9 років тому +28

    Start by taking the partial derivative with respect to each variable and then...one second brb.

  • @squeegie-beckenheim
    @squeegie-beckenheim 11 років тому +144

    my aunt had a cat she named after fermat. the spelling? furmatt

  • @DizzyForPigs
    @DizzyForPigs 10 років тому +10

    I'm suddenly wondering the following:
    In order to get the length of the hypotenuse of a one-dimensional line, you just measure it. a = a
    In order to get the length of the hypotenuse of a two-dimensional triangle, you take the two other sides, square them, add them together, and take the square root. a^2 + b^2 = c^2
    Now, what would you do in three dimensions? Simply tack on a third variable, and change those squares and square roots to cubes and cube roots. So now you have a^3 + b^3 + c^3 = d^3.
    My assumption is that somewhere, there exists some sets of four integers for which this is true. Am I matching the pattern wrong?

    • @Skellborn
      @Skellborn 10 років тому +25

      Wrong. For three dimensions you get a third variable but the power stays 2. So a²+b²+c²=d²

    • @briansammond7801
      @briansammond7801 6 років тому +1

      The case for a^3 + b^3 + c^3 = d^3 has numerous solutions.
      Probably the simplest is 3^3 + 4^3 + 5^3 = 6^3, which you can readily check.
      Very similar to the 3,4,5 solution for the Pythagorean equation.
      What I would like to see is a proof of the minimum number of terms required for a given power n for the equation to be true.

  • @frankbarzaga3090
    @frankbarzaga3090 5 років тому +8

    At 9:30, the subtitled has “loathed (?)” in fact it should read “lauded.”

  • @catedoge3206
    @catedoge3206 5 років тому

    This channel is a gem.

  • @shaz7768
    @shaz7768 4 роки тому +1

    Simon Singh came to my school to give us a lecture, and it was amazing
    He worked with the Simpsons for a bit

  • @georgedunn320
    @georgedunn320 4 роки тому +9

    "Lauded," not "loathed" (quite the opposite, actually.)
    "Slain," not "slained."
    "Piet Hein," not "Pete Hines."

  • @lox8031
    @lox8031 8 років тому +14

    SOLVED! Do another video on it please :)

  • @heresy_unfolding
    @heresy_unfolding 4 роки тому +14

    It's an amazing coincidence that Fermat's Last Theorem requires Andrew Wiles' Final Proof to be completely unlocked.

  • @Skywalker-zu7od
    @Skywalker-zu7od 9 років тому

    I want to sit and have a beer and a chat with Simon Singh so badly it actually hurts. Great video!

  • @ruchirrawat8804
    @ruchirrawat8804 5 років тому +7

    the dude bragged about having the proof when he didn't actually have one and made a silly reason of not having enough paper and when people found it was an excuse he just died

  • @fatpiecharson2082
    @fatpiecharson2082 Рік тому +6

    2:46 pi on his forehead

  • @WojtekCzaderna
    @WojtekCzaderna 5 років тому +4

    And this is a great example of how mathematics can be fascinating

  • @romzeek
    @romzeek 9 місяців тому +3

    Never listened so attentively to a math video before. Probably should read his book anyway.

  • @JavierArtiles
    @JavierArtiles 3 роки тому

    Thanks!

  • @AfaqueAhmed_
    @AfaqueAhmed_ 2 роки тому +2

    The example questions :- x^2 + y^2 = z^2 : find x, y . z .
    The exercise questions :-
    * I have the question but it is too small to fit in the comment box .*

  • @jasonli7883
    @jasonli7883 8 років тому +62

    Make a video on the taniyama shimura conjecture pls!!!

    • @kalebbruwer
      @kalebbruwer 8 років тому +3

      I have NO IDEA what it is, but it sounds complicated.

    • @jasonli7883
      @jasonli7883 8 років тому +2

      Me neither that's why i want them to make a video lol

    • @TheSam1902
      @TheSam1902 8 років тому

      Yeah, make a video, that sounds quite like a challenge !

    • @rivenoak
      @rivenoak 8 років тому +9

      basically: prove Taniyama -Shimura and you got Femat covered too. Wiles used Taniyama-Shimura for his approach on Fermat's Theorem and solved both. :)

    • @E1craZ4life
      @E1craZ4life 7 років тому +3

      There is a video with the guy who proved the link between Taniyama-Shimura and Fermat's Last Theorem, where he talks about that conjecture and how they were connected.

  • @jeyendeoso
    @jeyendeoso 10 років тому +17

    Im reading Simon Singh's book now :) It has already been translated to brazilian portuguese

  • @XMIR10C
    @XMIR10C 9 років тому +3

    I believe fermat had a simple proof. I think he reduced to the rational numbers ==> xexpn +yexpn = 1, where x,y in Q. if you graph this, it is bounded by a 1x1 square and a circle of radius 1, getting more squarish as n increases. then if you slice it into 2 parts, use integration to find the area under the 2 parts. go ahead - draw it on paper...

  • @leaf2690
    @leaf2690 7 років тому

    this channel is amazing

  • @JobimSynthMusic
    @JobimSynthMusic Рік тому

    I read the book around my early twenties, as a lifelong lover of numbers and math, it was a wonderful read!

  • @gabrielkellar1935
    @gabrielkellar1935 5 років тому +14

    I have the most wonderful proof
    Fermat: "im going to do whats called a pro gamer move"

  • @henriquembotelho
    @henriquembotelho 11 років тому +9

    Recomendo a leitura do livro o Último Teorema de Fermat de Simon Singh.
    É um livro excelente com uma linguagem clara e fácil não necessitando de matemática avançada.

  • @sr528
    @sr528 10 років тому +8

    7:53 I think he says "lauded" rather than "loathed"

  • @AsBi1
    @AsBi1 4 роки тому

    i love numberphile videos, they are so understandable

  • @gakulon
    @gakulon 8 років тому

    I think that it's absolutely beautiful that Fermat's proofs were being rediscovered past his drath by people who read the book.

  • @nathanwailes
    @nathanwailes Рік тому +3

    This guy's a great storyteller

  • @denelson83
    @denelson83 11 років тому +11

    That would be any *integer* bigger than two, actually.

    • @jyl123
      @jyl123 6 років тому

      denelson83 show me a case where 3.5 would work

  • @Alex-hq8ci
    @Alex-hq8ci 9 років тому +20

    HEY NUMBERPHILE
    can you do a video on season 6 episode 10 of futurama"The prisoner of benda" the professor makes a machine that switches minds but once you switch you cant switch back. I would love to see the mathematics of how many other people it would take to return everyone to their original bodies.

    • @unnamedtheanonymous763
      @unnamedtheanonymous763 9 років тому +1

      +Alex Kasantsidis 2 more, both if 'the body' can't switch again AND if 'the mind' can't switch again

  • @og_bhaiyu
    @og_bhaiyu Рік тому +2

    Who came here after, "I loved every minute of it, However hard it had been."

  • @wreckim
    @wreckim 5 років тому

    I was just discussing this with a friend. How we always tout how we need to work as a team, that teams are superior to individual effort. Then, Wiles proves that this isn't so. But then, contradicting this once again, he did need a 'team' to not only prove the theorem, but to really accomplish the damn thing. Additionally, it's not a stretch to surmise that had he worked with Taylor from the beginning would have solved it in 1/2 the time. Maybe not...maybe Taylor would have suggested something that would lead them astray. Thanks for posting.

  • @WahranRai
    @WahranRai 5 років тому +4

    0:21
    You are lucky, if Fermat saw you with this haircut, you will be sent to prison ...

  • @zracklfr1334
    @zracklfr1334 8 років тому +20

    he looks like someone from fallout

  • @oscarpalacios22
    @oscarpalacios22 10 років тому +15

    Have an answer for you? Yes. But you're not going to like it... 42

    • @chinmay1095
      @chinmay1095 7 років тому

      hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy 😁😁

  • @dushyanthabandarapalipana5492
    @dushyanthabandarapalipana5492 4 роки тому

    Thanks !happy new year !

  • @ariss3304
    @ariss3304 5 років тому

    I was watching this video and was reading the subtitles, saw that this guys name was Singh. Remembered that I had a book by one Simon Singh. Read the description and lo and behold it’s him!

  • @Katie-hj5eb
    @Katie-hj5eb 6 років тому +3

    I've been working on a proof but sadly I've hit some roadblocks. It deals primarily with prime numbers and rotational bases. I don't know if I'll ever finish it though.