Fermat's Last Theorem
Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singhby Simon Singh
Ranked 2 of 20 mathematics books by recommenders
People recommend it as an engaging, accessible account of the long hunt to prove Fermat's Last Theorem, with a clear introduction to the underlying math for general readers.
People recommend it as an engaging, accessible account of the long hunt to prove Fermat's Last Theorem, with a clear introduction to the underlying math for general readers.
11 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 11
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 11 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Engaging, dramatic story of the proof
“It's quite fascinating, and paved with really, _really_ weird characters each chipping in on the final solution.”
Comment from 4 Sep 2026 in “Formalizing Fermat's Last Theorem” “it's a documentary for everyone. It captures the effort, struggle, highs and lows”
Comment from 4 Sep 2026 in “Formalizing Fermat's Last Theorem” “at least purports to be a sober account with some momentum”
Comment from 21 Jul 2026 in “Human mathematicians are being outcounterexampled” - Comment from 28 Jul 2026 in “Solving Fermat: Andrew Wiles”
Accessible introduction to the mathematics
“I really enjoyed it and left with a basic understanding of the underlying math”
Comment from 9 Aug 2026 in “"I loved every minute of it, however hard it had been" [video]” “This was an excellent introduction to this topic”
Comment from 28 Jul 2026 in “Solving Fermat: Andrew Wiles” Excellent, insightful book overall
“One of the best books I've ever read.”
Comment from 28 Jul 2026 in “Solving Fermat: Andrew Wiles” “It is a very insightful book”
Comment from 4 Sep 2026 in “Formalizing Fermat's Last Theorem”
Other mathematics books people recommend
The four most recommended other mathematics books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elements by Euclidby Oliver Byrne | 17 | 9 | 65% | 8 | — | — |
| Fermat's Last Theoremby Simon SinghThis page | 11 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
| Gödel's Proofby Nagel and Newman | 10 | 1 | 91% | 2 | — | — |
| Principia Mathematicaby Whitehead and Russell | 10 | 8 | 56% | 1 | — | — |
| Mathematica: A Secret World of Intuition and Curiosityby David Bessis | 9 | 0 | 100% | 6 | — | — |
What people said
9 of the 11 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“it's a documentary for everyone. It captures the effort, struggle, highs and lows”
“It is a very insightful book”
“It's quite fascinating, and paved with really, _really_ weird characters each chipping in on the final solution.”
“I read Simon Singh's book as a young teenager - loved it!”
“I really enjoyed it and left with a basic understanding of the underlying math”
“One of the best books I've ever read.”
“It does! Very dramatic part of the book.”
“This was an excellent introduction to this topic”
“at least purports to be a sober account with some momentum”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.