Post by Mark T Hebner

Pierre de Fermat (1601–1665) was a notable French magistrate and lawyer, recognized as one of the greatest amateur mathematicians in history. He is the fourth mathematician/statistician featured in our 800-year narrative on the Pioneers of Probability. Through a significant correspondence with mathematician Blaise Pascal in 1654, Fermat co-founded the mathematical theory of probability while addressing gambling puzzles, particularly the "problem of points." Mathematics was a passionate hobby for Fermat rather than his profession, leading him to publish his work infrequently. Instead, he shared his groundbreaking ideas through private letters to fellow thinkers and made notes in the margins of his books. Despite this informal approach, his insights have profoundly influenced modern mathematics. Enjoy our time travel video back to 1654 and then back to the present day.

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