Download or read book Three Lectures on Fermat's Last Theorem written by L. J. Mordell and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2015-06-25 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Three Lectures on Fermat's Last Theorem In March 1920, I gave at Birkbeck College, London, a course of three public lectures on Fermat's Last Theorem. The lectures were intended primarily for persons with a mathematical training, but not necessarily for those who bad made a special study of the Theory of Numbers. A general account was given of the various methods that have been devised for dealing with the question, more attention being paid to principles than to details. This booklet consists of the lectures in practically the form in which they were delivered. It also includes a few details which it was found convenient to omit from the lectures. I hope it may be of assistance in giving to the reader come idea, not only of the difficulties involved, but also of the progress made in dealing with this famous theorem. I have to acknowledge my indebtedness not only to the authors mentioned herein, but also to the works of Smith, Bachmann, Hilbert, Kronecker, Sommer, and Dickson, on the Theory of Numbers. Full references to the subject are given by Dickson in his very useful paper on "Fermat's Last Theorem" in the Annals of Mathematics, Vol. xviii. 1917 ;and in Vol. n.of his History of the Theory of Numbers,- which has just been published. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.