Fermat's theorem

noun

Mathematics.

1. the theorem that an integer raised to a prime power leaves the same remainder as the integer itself when divided by the prime.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Fermat's theorem¹

First recorded in 1805–15; named after P. de Fermat

Example Sentences

But if the abc conjecture is true, Fermat’s theorem is more easily explained.

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In 1753, he announced that he had solved an aspect of Fermat’s theorem.

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And despite guidance from Richard Taylor, a white mathematician then at Harvard who had assisted in solving Fermat’s theorem, Dr. Goins was unable to publish the paper he produced four years later.

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It’s time to attach female names to the relativity theory, to the proof of Fermat’s theorem, to the painter of the Sistine Chapel, and to the fastest marathon runner.

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“They also put up a not-quite-true counter-example to Fermat’s Theorem,” Joel Rubin posted on Nov. 7, 1995.

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