Abstract
THE first attempt to prove Fermat's last theorem contained in this edition repeats a fallacy to which attention has already been directed in NATURE, Oct. 30, 1919. On pp. 18, 21, “quantities”t and υ are defined, and it is assumed that these quantities are integers, which is not generally the case. In the second attempt there is a fallacy, pp. 34—35, relating to the divisibility of numbers. The pamphlet ends with a version of Barlow's attempt to prove the last theorem, taken from the 1811 edition of his “Theory of Numbers.”Barlow's attempted proof contains a well-known fallacy, which need not be pointed out here.
Fermat's Last Theorem: Proofs by Elementary Algebra.
By M. Cashmore. Third edition. Pp. 67. (London: G. Bell and Sons, Ltd., 1921.) 2s. 6d. net.
Enjoying our latest content?
Log in or create an account to continue
- Access the most recent journalism from Nature's award-winning team
- Explore the latest features & opinion covering groundbreaking research
or
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
B., W. Fermat's Last Theorem: Proofs by Elementary Algebra . Nature 109, 39 (1922). https://doi.org/10.1038/109039b0
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/109039b0