Packet 4: Bonus 17
This theorem was accompanied by a probably false statement that declared the margin of a book was just too small to include a proof, though it wasn’t proven for another 358 years. For 10 points each:
[10e] Name this theorem proven by Andrew Wiles in 1996. This theorem states that it is impossible to find three positive integers such that [read slowly] a to the n plus b to the n is equal to c to the n for n greater than 2.
ANSWER: Fermat’s Last Theorem [prompt on FLT or Fermat’s theorem or Fermat; reject “Fermat’s little theorem”]
[10h] Wiles proved Fermat’s Last Theorem by partially proving the Taniyama-Shimura conjecture, which related these objects to modular forms. These objects are defined by the equation “y squared equals x cubed plus a x plus b.”
ANSWER: elliptic curves [prompt on curves; reject “elliptical curves”; reject “ellipse”]
[10m] Most early attempts to prove the theorem focused on extending proofs that Fermat’s last theorem held for this female mathematician’s namesake prime numbers.
ANSWER: Sophie Germain (“ZHAIR-main”)
<Science - Math, Vikram Narasimhan> | VAULT II Packet 04
| Heard | PPB | E % | M % | H % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 17.14 | 91% | 46% | 34% |
Conversion
| Team | Opponent | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Total | Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bella Vista | Abbey Park | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | E |
| Burlington Trojans | Northern | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | E |
| Renert | Cheese Sandwich | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | E |
Summary
| Tournament | Edition | Match | Heard | PPB | E % | M % | H % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VAULT II at Georgia Tech | 2026-01-24 | ✓ | 6 | 18.33 | 83% | 50% | 50% |
| Triangle Cup | 2026-03-13 | ✓ | 2 | 10.00 | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| VAULT II at Eden Prairie HS | 2026-03-13 | ✓ | 3 | 13.33 | 67% | 33% | 33% |
| VAULT II at McGill | 2026-03-13 | ✓ | 3 | 10.00 | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| VAULT II at UCSB | 2026-03-13 | ✓ | 4 | 22.50 | 100% | 75% | 50% |
| VAULT II Northern UK | 2026-04-24 | ✓ | 1 | 10.00 | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| VAULT II Southern UK | 2026-04-24 | ✓ | 2 | 10.00 | 100% | 0% | 0% |
| VAULT II at Harvard | 2026-04-30 | ✓ | 2 | 20.00 | 100% | 50% | 50% |
| VAULT II at MINT | 2026-06-19 | ✓ | 4 | 15.00 | 75% | 50% | 25% |
| VAULT II Stanford Online | 2026-07-17 | ✓ | 8 | 22.50 | 100% | 75% | 50% |