Elliptic curves, modular forms, & Fermat's last theorem /

Andrew Wiles and Richard Taylor's proof of Fermat's Last Theorem is viewed by many as the most spectacular mathematical accomplishment of the century. Some time is likely to pass before a thorough expository account appears, to say nothing of an elementary account. In the meantime one may expect books that discuss various aspects of the mathematics connected with the proof. This conference proceedings may be the first. Especially noteworthy are an article by Noam Elkies that obviates the necessity of the unexpected trick Wiles employs to finish off his proof, and a classic but never-before-published article by John Tate on the structure of elliptic curves over complete fields. The forthcoming "Current Developments in Mathematics," also from the same publisher and already being distributed in a preliminary version, contains an article about Fermat's Last Theorem by H. Darmon, F. Diamond, and R. Taylor that runs more than 100 pages, and is a must read for anyone interested in the proof. Elliptic Curves is suitable for upper-division undergraduates through faculty. D. V. Feldman; University of New Hampshire