Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1898 — Chinese as Mathematicians. [ARTICLE]

Chinese as Mathematicians.

Cambridge University has just had a remarkable proof of the mathematical genius of the Chinese. Some time ago much surprise was caused a-moaig the mathematicians generally by the discovery among the papers of the late Sir Thomas Wade, of Chinese fame, of evidence that In the time of Confucius the Chinese knew an equation which only became known in Europe during the last century, when it was discovered by Fermat, and has since been known as Fermat's equation. But the Chinese version recently discovered stated that the equation did not hold with regard to certain This puzzled the mathematicians, and all efforts to solve the point have hitherto failed. Now, however, a young undergraduate of Trinity College, Cambridge, has demonstrated that the Chinese were right, and his. solution is frankly admitted by the experts to be perfect. The correspondent understands the result Is shortly to be published at Cambridge In an authoritative way.—Mauchesier Guardian.