C. Match the words to make phrases

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 practise A theory

2 criminal B coordinates

3 remarkable C law

4 number D geometry

5 probability E achievements

6 Cartesian F court

7 analytic G recognition

8 receive H theory

Reading

Pierre de Fermat

Pierre de Fermat was born in Toulouse, France on 17^th August, 1601, and died on 12^th January, 1665. He came from a wealthy family, and he studied law in Orleans. After graduating, he began to practise law and later he became a councillor in parliament. By 1652, he had become the chief magistrate of the criminal court - a very important and highly respected position.

In 17^th century France, magistrates spent large amounts of time on their own. It was during this time that de Fermat worked in the field of mathematics. In fact, his devotion to this science was so great that he spent as much free time as he could working on mathematical problems and solutions. Although de Fermat published very little in his lifetime, he is still considered to be one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. His achievements in mathematics are quite astounding.

De Fermat's most important work was done in the development of modern number theory, which was one of his favourite areas of mathematics, and which had an important impact on the study of calculus. Sir Isaac Newton said that his own invention of calculus - differential calculus in particular - was based in large part on the work of de Fermat, who had done his studies on calculus well before Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz were born. In 1654, Blaise Pascal wrote a letter to de Fermat asking about the latter's views on probability. Thus began a correspondence that became the foundation of Probability Theory, with de Fermat and Pascal considered to be the founders of this theory. Rene Descartes is famous for his invention of Cartesian coordinates and his important work La Geometrie. De Fermat had independently come up with his own three-dimensional analytic geometry, which was more complicated and advanced than Descartes'; Descartes' work became more popular, however, because its notation was more convenient. Today, both scientists are seen as the fathers of analytic geometry.

De Fermat also made contributions in the field of optics, formulating a law on the way light travels. His methods were so advanced that many of his results were not proved for a century after his death, and de Fermat's Last Theorem took more than three hundred years to prove. De Fermat rarely provided his proofs, that is, evidence or procedures for reaching conclusions, to explain how he got his answers. In his letters to fellow mathematicians, he stated theorems but neglected the proofs, which was very annoying for them. Since he never wanted anything to be published (as he considered mathematics to be his hobby), there was nowhere for scholars to check his claims and consequently during his lifetime, he received very little recognition as a mathematician. If the people he wrote to had not saved his papers and letters, we may never have heard of de Fermat and his remarkable achievements.

Pronunciation guide

Magistrate

Orleans

Toulouse

E Comprehension

Read the text and choose the correct answer.

1 Despite having little of his work published while alive, de Fermat

A had a successful career in law.

B is seen as a great mathematician.

C held an important position.

2 De Fermat's work on modern numbers

A was influenced by Newton's work.