Pierre de Fermat

math · mystery · genius

Hidden genius. Fermat was a lawyer and judge in France, not a full-time mathematician, yet he made some of the biggest discoveries in math history by working on problems in his spare time.

Early calculus pioneer. He figured out how to find the highest and lowest points on curved lines using a technique called adequality, which was basically doing calculus before calculus was even invented.

The margin mystery. Fermat scribbled a note in the margin of an ancient math book saying he had solved a famous equation, but he never wrote down the actual proof, leaving mathematicians confused for 358 years.

Light and math. He discovered Fermat's principle, which explains how light travels the fastest route possible, a rule that helps scientists and engineers understand optics today.

Probability pioneer. He helped develop the math behind probability and chance, which is used today in games, weather forecasts, and gambling.