Fermat's Last Theorem, like many other mathematical theorems, is essentially a mathematical puzzle and an intellectual game for mathematicians.
"It is impossible to divide a cube into two cubes, or a biquadratic number into two biquadratic numbers, or, more generally, to divide a power higher than the second into two like powers."
This theorem was proposed by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in 1637.
In simple terms, the equation can be written as "x^n + y^n = z^n has no positive integer solutions."
Fermat's Last Theorem was solved by Andrew Wiles in 1993, but due to issues with the cited Euler's identity, further proof was required. Finally, on October 25, 1994, at 11:04:11 AM, Wiles presented a solution that convinced all mathematicians, proving the theorem for n greater than 2.
This marked the end of a three-hundred-year-long numerical game. Yan Xia, while studying string theory, had come across some mathematical knowledge and was familiar with Fermat's Last Theorem.
The scholar before him, who was studying the theorem, indicated that his mathematical abilities were not particularly advanced, or perhaps he was simply playing an intellectual game.
"Fermat's Last Theorem was conceived too long ago, and it seems to have no practical applications."
Mathematics is often linked to philosophy, and the importance of many mathematical problems lies not in the proof but in the process.
It's like playing a game—the most enjoyable part is always the exploration during the game, and once you defeat the final boss, you're left with a sense of emptiness.
Ella transmitted her voice to Yan Xia's ear through tiny robots.
"According to the information, there is indeed no related technology."
Yan Xia paid no further attention to it, as it was merely a mathematical exercise. In the current era of the Civilized Federation, many mathematical proofs no longer required manual effort and could be found through online searches.
Moreover, companies had developed "Grand Mathematical Formula Models" in virtual universes, providing a space for any form of computational work, akin to a super calculator.
These models not only aided in understanding known mathematical formulas but also assisted in solving mathematical problems, significantly reducing the time mathematicians spent on calculations.
Some computations that would have taken hours of mental effort could now be completed in less than a minute using these models.
Ella oversaw many of these academic virtual spaces, connecting network ports to these worlds and collecting computational data.
"Damn, it didn't pass the main council's review again."
"To think that there was an error in this aspect. The Math Machine Deity truly lives up to its name, as it didn't notice the mistake in the previous calculations."
The Light-Winged scholar beside him muttered in both dismay and awe.
Yan Xia watched as the screen in front of the scholar suddenly expanded, becoming the size of a blackboard, filled with densely packed formulas written in tiny letters, as if they were the size of flies, proving a theorem.
The sheer number of formulas on the screen made Yan Xia shudder.
Mathematics was too complex. His primary field of study was biology, with astrophysics as his secondary interest. Physics also required the application of mathematics, but previously, he had relied on Ella for calculations. Among various academic disciplines, mathematics was undoubtedly one of the most challenging.
It demanded a terrifying level of logical thinking, and in this era, numerous mathematical problems were being proposed. Many of these were not integer problems like Fermat's Last Theorem but involved more calculus, geometry, and other complex areas. Yan Xia had even heard of a scholar who died from over-exerting his brain during calculations.
The closer one got to the truth in many mathematical problems, the more challenging they became. Ella, as the core of the Civilized Federation, participated in research across various fields, and even with her computational power, she almost smoked herself out during a mathematical calculation, working on it for 289 years without proving the theorem's validity.
"What are Machine Deities?" Yan Xia asked curiously.
This was something he had not encountered during his time in the Civilized Federation.
Yan Xia spoke aloud, startling the Light-Winged scholar, who turned to look at him in shock.
"You don't know about Machine Deities?"
"In the Civilized Federation, Machine Deities govern everything. There are Social Machine Deities that manage the functioning of society, Academic Machine Deities for mathematics, physics, and chemistry, Virtual Machine Deities that oversee virtual worlds, and Military Machine Deities for military affairs."
"Machine Deities are everywhere in the Civilized Federation. Wait, aren't you the official who came from the Ice and Snow Star? How can you not know about Machine Deities?"
The Light-Winged scholar became suspicious, wondering if Yan Xia was a spy from another civilization.
In the current era of the Civilized Federation, not knowing about Machine Deities was as absurd as someone in the 21st century not knowing what a cellphone was.
"I see. I've been on the Universe Silk Road for a long time and only recently returned. I had no idea the Federation had developed so rapidly."
Yan Xia expressed his astonishment, which also alleviated the scholar's suspicions.
Ella also whispered an explanation to Yan Xia.
The information Ella processed was determined by her computational power. The vastness of the universe meant that she could only operate within a single galaxy, as connecting multiple galaxies would result in terrifying delays lasting several years.
A delay of even a millisecond in a computer is unacceptable, let alone delays of several years or decades.
Therefore, Ella created the Machine Deities.
Each Machine Deity has its own independent galaxy-level mainframe, handling different tasks.
Machine Deities are divided into two categories: the primary Machine Deities with extremely high computational power and the secondary Machine Deities with lower power. The primary Machine Deities rely on massive stars, typically yellow or blue dwarfs, for their immense energy supply and computational capabilities.
Secondary Machine Deities are based on red or white dwarfs, and in the Ring World, there is a secondary Machine Deity that oversees its operations.
"The Universe Silk Road is indeed very distant."
"A distance of over two hundred light-years. If only my research could be completed, it might bring the Federation's warship speed to a new level, at least 15% of the speed of light."
The Light-Winged scholar shook his head regretfully.
"Unfortunately, my research still has a long way to go. As a Light-Winged being, my lifespan is too short. If I could live for a few hundred years, perhaps I could complete this research myself one day."
Yan Xia listened with great curiosity.
"What kind of research could increase the speed of warships so significantly?"
The Light-Winged scholar granted permission to Yan Xia's virtual screen, and the formulas on the blackboard disappeared, replaced by a single number:
137