Fermat

Fermat was a 17th-century French mathematician and lawyer, renowned for his foundational contributions to number theory and analytical geometry. Full name Pierre de Fermat, he was born in 1607 in Beaumont-de-Lomagne, France, and died in 1665 in Castres, France. Fermat is often celebrated for Fermat's Last Theorem, a famous statement in number theory asserting that there are no three positive integers a, b, and c that satisfy the equation a^n + b^n = c^n for any integer value of n greater than two. He initially proposed this theorem in a margin note, claiming to have a marvelous proof, though no such proof was ever found among his writings.

Fermat's work laid the groundwork for modern algebra and calculus, often collaborating and exchanging ideas with contemporaries such as Blaise Pascal. His method of adequality contributed to the development of differential calculus, while his investigations into prime numbers and divisibility established key principles in number theory.

In addition to number theory, Fermat made significant advancements in optics, probability, and analytic geometry. His correspondence and contributions influenced subsequent mathematicians like Euler, Gauss, and Fermat's own successor, Leibniz.

Despite his many achievements, Fermat's Last Theorem remained unproven for over 350 years until British mathematician Andrew Wiles provided a proof in 1994, completing a quest that had begun with Fermat's enigmatic claim. Today, Fermat is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of mathematics, with his work continuing to inspire research across multiple mathematical disciplines.