Introduction to Fermat’s Last Theorem

A detailed tutorial of Fermat’s Last Theorem. Step by step tutorial including several examples of Fermat’s Last Theorem for reference.

Fermat’s Last Theorem is one of the most well known mathematical theorems. Fermat’s Last Theorem states that no three positive integers a, b, and c can satisfy the equation a^n + b^n = c^n for any integer value of n greater than 2. Notice that the pattern for this theorem follows the Pythagorean theorem. This theorem had to be proved for odd prime numbers, as Fermat had only left that there was the special instance of n = 4 that works for this equation. Fermat first came up with the problem in 1637, but it was not solved until 1995. This theorem led to the developement of both algebraic number theory and the proof of the modularity theorem.