Pierre de Fermat Quotes

France, Lawyer
December 6, 1607 – January, 12, 1665.

Pierre de Fermat (Between 31 October and 6 December 1607 – 12 January 1665) was a French lawyer at the Parlement of Toulouse, France, and a mathematician who is given credit for early developments that led to infinitesimal calculus, including his technique of adequality.

And perhaps, posterity will thank me for having shown it that the ancients did not know everything.

Pierre de Fermat
Et cette proposition est généralement vraie en toutes progressions et en tous nombres premiers; de quoi je vous envoierois la démonstration, si je n'appréhendois d'être trop long.

Pierre de Fermat
- Long

I am more exempt and more distant than any man in the world.

Pierre de Fermat
- World
I have found a very great number of exceedingly beautiful theorems.

Pierre de Fermat
- Great
- Beautiful
Cuius rei demonstrationem mirabilem sane detexi hanc marginis exiguitas non caperet.

Pierre de Fermat
I will share all of this with you whenever you wish.

Pierre de Fermat
- Wish
It is impossible for any number which is a power greater than the second to be written as a sum of two like powers. I have a truly marvelous demonstration of this proposition which this margin is too narrow to contain.

Pierre de Fermat
- Power
But it is impossible to divide a cube into two cubes, or a fourth power into fourth powers, or generally any power beyond the square into like powers; of this I have found a remarkable demonstration. This margin is too narrow to contain it.

Pierre de Fermat
- Power