The Last Problem

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June 30, 2026

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"The Last Problem" is a book by Eric Temple Bell, a Scottish-American mathematician, educator, and writer known for his contributions to analytic number theory. Published in 1961, the book is a history of Fermat's last theorem.12

Fermat's last theorem states that no three positive integers x, y, and z can satisfy the equation xⁿ + yⁿ = zⁿ for any integer value of n greater than 2. This theorem remained unproven for centuries, baffling mathematicians until Andrew Wiles presented a successful proof in 1995. Bell's book explores the long and complex journey to solve this mathematical puzzle, though it is noted for being somewhat fanciful and not always historically accurate.21

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Eric Temple Bell
…history of Fermat’s last theorem, The Last Problem (1961). Although rather fanciful and not always historically accurate, these works, particularly Men of Mathematics, continue to attract a wide readership. Under the pen name of John Taine, Bell wrote many books of science fiction, including The Time Stream (1946).
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…history of Fermat’s last theorem, The Last Problem (1961). Although rather fanciful and not always historically accurate, these works, particularly Men of Mathematics, continue to attract a wide readership. Under the pen name of John Taine, Bell wrote many books of science fiction, including The Time Stream (1946).
Read More