Pierre de Fermat

1607–1665 · French mathematician and lawyer

Topics: mathematics

• There is scarcely any one who states purely arithmetical questions, scarcely any who understands them. Is this not because arithmetic has been treated up to this time geometrically rather than arithmetically?

  — Pierre de Fermat

• I propose this theorem to be proved or problem to be solved. If they succeed in discovering the proof or solution, they will acknowledge that questions of this kind are not inferior to the more celebrated ones from geometry either for depth or difficulty or method of proof

  — Pierre de Fermat