zlacker

>>qqqqqu+(OP)
Fermat's theorem: a^n + b^n = c^n For n > 2, why are there no integers a, b, and c that satisfy the equality?

>>bjourn+vc
One of my advisors in college said "The proof takes about 10 years of graduate mathematics to understand".

>>ken+Pc
Is there really no intuitive way to communicate the answer to that question without needing 10 years of grad math? I find that to be somewhat hard to believe

>>wesamm+yf
No, there is no intuitive way to communicate it. The theorem has taken >350 years to prove, which makes it clear that the proof is not some intuition that was somehow missed by hundreds of people for centuries.

Fermat's Last Theorem (book) by Simon Singh is the source to check out if you're interested in the details of how it eluded mathematicians and a general idea of how the problem was solved, without getting too technical. It's a great story well told.