Fermat Quote by Alan Perlis
“We are on the verge: Today our program proved Fermat's next-to-last theorem.”
About This Quote
Source Lecture: “Computational Milestones”, 1976
A breakthrough in proving Fermat’s theorem marks a pivotal moment in mathematical history.
In simple terms: Major proof milestone achieved.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and celebrate scientific breakthroughs.
Themes
mathematics
breakthrough
history
achievement
logic
Mood
celebratory
intellectual
reflective
Type
academic
historical
When to use this quote
- academic conferences
- research labs
- education curricula
Key Concepts
theory
proof
computational methods
Questions to Reflect On
- What implications does this proof have?
- How does it influence future research?
A Different Perspective
Complex proofs may still leave unanswered questions.
![“Before beginning [to try to prove Fermat's Last Theorem] I should have to put in three years of intensive study, and I haven't that much time to squander on a probable failure.” quote by David Hilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b4f/david-hilbert-12585_education_before-beginning-to-try-to-prove-fermat_2395986.jpg)
![“A reply to Olbers' attempt in 1816 to entice him to work on Fermat's Theorem. I confess that Fermat's Theorem as an isolated proposition has very little interest for me, because I could easily lay down a multitude of such propositions, which one could neither prove nor dispose of. []” quote by Carl Friedrich Gauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/026/carl-friedrich-gauss-9412_fermat_a-reply-to-olbers-attempt-in-1816-to-ent_2675593.jpg)
![“Some mathematics problems look simple, and you try them for a year or so, and then you try them for a hundred years, and it turns out that they're extremely hard to solve. There's no reason why these problems shouldn't be easy, and yet they turn out to be extremely intricate. [Fermat's] Last…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/948/anonymous-1_beautiful_some-mathematics-problems-look-simple-an_299446.jpg)
