Math Girls 2: Fermat's Last Theorem

Description

"What's the big deal about Fermat's last theorem?" Yuri asked. "It's famous," I said. "So simple anyone can understand it, but it took centuries for mathematicians to prove it's true." * * * With a note scribbled in the margin of a book in the 1600s, Fermat set in motion centuries of effort spent unraveling this enigma. It would require 358 years and the development of entirely new fields of mathematics to provide a definitive solution to what is now recognized as one of the greatest mathematical problems of all time. In this second book in the Math Girls series, you'll join Miruka, Tetra, and new "math girl" Yuri in explorations of number theory, abstract algebra, modular arithmetic, methods of proof, and other intriguing mathematical topics, leading up to a whirlwind tour of the modern proof of Fermat's last theorem. Math Girls 2: Fermat's Last Theorem has something for anyone interested in mathematics, from advanced high school students to college math majors and educators. Praise for Math Girls! "...the type of book that might inspire teens to realize how much interesting mathematics there is in the world-not just the material that is forced upon them for some standardized test." "Recommended" -CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries "Imagine the improbable: high-school students getting together on their own - not in a Math Club or Math Circle, not in preparation for any Math Olympiad or "regular" test, not on the advice of any of their teachers, not as part of any organized program - to talk about pure math, math more interesting than the math found in their textbooks. The three students in this book do that for the sheer love of it. That to me is the beauty and fascination of this novel for young people, mostly young people interested in math." -Marion Cohen, Arcadia University, MAA Reviews "Sometimes the math goes over your head-or at least my head. But that hardly matters. The focus here is the joy of learning, which the book conveys with aplomb." -Daniel Pink, NYT and WSJ best-selling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind "if you have a...teenager who's really into math, this is a really interesting choice" -Carol Zall, Public Radio International, The World "Math Girls provides a fun and engaging way to learn and review mathematical concepts...the characters' joy as they explore and discover new and old ideas is infectious." -review, "Experiments in Manga" blog