Three-and-a-half century-old Fermat’s Last Theorem is finally uncoiling, thanks to a Malayali academic. Unnikrishnan Thekkappat, a research fellow, has published his new finding in the IOSR Journal of Mathematics, an international open-access journal.
According to the mathematics fraternity, Unnikrishnan’s finding is outstanding. In a paper presented recently and subsequently sent for publication, this man from Kerala University of Veterinary and Animal Science claimed to have proved what was unknown for several years. Through a simple way in algebra, this 33-year-old solved the theorem by making appropriate variations. A three-page theorem titled “Finding Numbers Satisfying the Condition an+bn=cn” was published in the journal’s July-August, 2013 issue. Ten years ago, when Unnikrishnan was a student, the Indian Science Congress rejected the same finding.
“Actually it was in 1637 that French mathematician Pierre de Fermat quoted this theorem in the margin of the Book of Mathematica that he was reading. But as there wasn’t enough space in the margin, he couldn’t write it down completely. Though it looks easy and simple, the scientists were not able to solve this theory even after three centuries. For quite a long time, this theorem remained a bitter taste in the minds of scientists” he said.
“I am happy to present this theory to the world outside. I hope the universities will accept my theory. I wish they will soon add it to their mathematics syllabi,” he said.