Fermat's little theorem
Although less known than its "big brother", Fermat's Little Theorem is, in turn, a gem of arithmetic, and all the more useful! That an abstract mathematical result finds, three hundred years after being established, fundamental applications, is surprising! Yet such is the case, in particular in the field of information exchange on the Internet. This small gem, uncovered by the "masterful magistrate" Pierre de Fermat, provides fundamental cryptographic algorithms, the most well-known being RSA. A gem that hasn't finished making waves: there are still gray areas and conjectures to prove!
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Fermat's little theorem in practice | Tangente
Fermat's little theorem is used to test whether a number is prime. Here is how.
RSA encryption explained by example | Tangente
RSA underpins the encryption of financial transactions.
Fermat and his little theorem: history | Tangente
In the 17th century, Pierre de Fermat, though not a professional mathematician, was one of the pioneers of number theory. Less famous than his "last" theorem, whose proof has yielded more applications than the statement alone, his "little" theorem is immensely useful to us.
A “little” theorem for major advances
Fermat's “little” theorem is surely one of the most fruitful results in arithmetic. Ever since it was first stated in 1640, mathematicians have made constant use of it. Euler even proposed a sweeping generalization. Let's take a closer look…