First printing of Fermat's Last Theorem - photo 1

First printing of Fermat's Last Theorem

Lot 20
02.02.2024 10:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Starting price
$ 12 000
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1129638
Lot 20 | First printing of Fermat's Last Theorem
Estimate value
$ 15 000 – 25 000
[FERMAT, Pierre de (1607-1665)] – DIOPHANTUS of Alexandria (fl. 3rd century CE). Arithmeticorum libri sex, et de numeris multangulis liber unus. Cum commentariis C.G. Bacheti V.C. & observationibus D. P. de Fermat. Toulouse: Bernard Bosc, 1670.

First edition of Fermat’s annotated Diophantus, containing his last theorem, the most famous problem in mathematics—from the libraries of two mathematicians of the Scottish Enlightenment. "Fermat was the first European to make extensive contributions to the theory of numbers, taking up the challenge in number theory posed in Diophantus’s Arithmetica. Fermat owned a copy of the Greek editio princeps of Diophantus’s work (1621), edited and annotated by Claude Bachet de Méziriac and published with Xylander’s Latin translation; Fermat often took issue with Bachet’s statements, writing his own results for the most part in the margins of his copy.

Five years after Fermat’s death, his son Claude-Samuel published a second edition of Bachet’s Diophantus, adding to it his father’s marginal notes; these included the famous note stating the still-unproved “theorem” on p. 61 regarding the impossibility of finding a positive integer n > 2 for which the equation xn + yn = zn holds true for the positive integers x, y, and z. Fermat claimed in his note to have discovered a “very wonderful demonstration” (demonstratio sane mirabilis) of this theorem that the margin was too narrow to contain, a claim that has tantalized mathematicians ever since" (Norman). The notorious last theorem went unsolved—but stimulating many developments in mathematics—until 1995, when it was cracked by Andrew Wiles in collaboration with several other mathematicians. A few extant copies contain a portrait or errata leaf, not present here, both of which seem to have been issued somewhat later. Norman 777.

Folio (336 x 228). Engraved vignette on title, engraved head- and tail-pieces and initial (a little toned, a few spots). 19th-century paneled calf. Provenance: Sir John Leslie, 1766-1832, Scottish mathematician and natural philosopher (inscription on pastedown dated 1828) – Edward Sang, 1805-1890, Scottish mathematician and astronomer (inscription on title dated 1833).
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
20 Rockefeller Plaza
10020 New York
USA
Preview
26.01.2024 10:00 – 17:00
27.01.2024 10:00 – 17:00
28.01.2024 13:00 – 17:00
29.01.2024 10:00 – 17:00
30.01.2024 10:00 – 17:00
31.01.2024 10:00 – 17:00
Phone +1 212 636 2000
Fax +1 212 636 4930
Email
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase
Shipping Postal service
Courier service
pickup by yourself
Payment methods Wire Transfer
Business hoursBusiness hours
Mo 09:30 – 17:00   
Tu 09:30 – 17:00   
We 09:30 – 17:00   
Th 09:30 – 17:00   
Fr 09:30 – 17:00   
Sa closed
Su closed

More from Creator

Varia opera mathematica
Varia opera mathematica
$35 000
Fermat's Last Theorem
Fermat's Last Theorem
$100

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.