The Last Theorem

by Arthur C. Clarke, Frederik Pohl

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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667	27	34,548	(3.17)	13
When Ranjit Subramanian, a Sri Lankan with a special gift for mathematics, writes a three-page proof of Pierre de Fermat's last theorem, his achievement is hailed as a work of genius, bringing him fame and fortune. But it also brings him to the attention of the National Security Agency and a shadowy United Nations outfit called Pax per Fidem, or Peace Through Transparency, whose secretive workings belie its name. Suddenly Ranjit--together with his wife, Myra de Soyza, an expert in artificial intelligence, and their burgeoning family--finds himself swept up in world-shaking events, his genius for abstract mathematical thought put to uses that are both concrete and potentially deadly. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone on Earth, an alien fleet is approaching the planet at a significant percentage of the speed of light. Their mission: to exterminate the dangerous species of primates known as homo sapiens.--From publisher description.… (more)

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Few elements of sci-fi really, more a life story of a mathematician in Sri Lanka. Some hard to believe stuff like Olympics on the Moon and Solar Sail racing as ways to encourage tourism... Not enough time spent with the aliens to my taste. (

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Guide2 | Feb 21, 2024 |

This was an interesting piece of fiction which managed to meander around plot lines without really settling on one. Little was extraneous (for every time I said "why did they tell us that?" I later said "ah, that's why"), but much was contrived. An interesting read if you want to read reflections on society, life, science, and technology woven into a narrative form, but not necessarily a good story. (

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eri_kars | Jul 10, 2022 |

Really a 4.5 if I could have given it. Great book with loads of ideas being just tossed around for you to notice on the way past. It does feel a bit like the two of them have just thrown everything into this and there's bits that seem a bit more "adventure yarn" than classic Clarke, so I'm guessing that must be Pohl's influence as I've not read much of his work. Anyway, definitely worth a read. (

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expatscot | Sep 22, 2021 |

Given the pedigree of the two authors, I was expecting a lot more from this book. I just couldn't buy into the whole "world-famous mathematician whose childhood best friend is a major UN figure and whose daughter is a world class athlete and whose niece (or cousin, or something; I'm not entirely sure) is a world class doctor" mode of moving the plot forward. (

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mmonette | Oct 23, 2020 |

Sri Lanken youth obsessed w/ Fermat's "Last Theorem" works it out to become world famous. Meanwhile, Grand Galactics send One Point Fives to sterilize earth.

JohnLavik | Mar 29, 2020 |

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thingScore 75

This is a genuine Frederik Pohl and Arthur C. Clarke novel. It's a worthy addition to both men's works. And, best of all, it's a chance to sit down one more time with a pair of old, old friends and find them just as sharp, witty, and wise as they ever have been.

added by Shortride | editFantasy & Science Fiction, Chris Moriarty (Jan 1, 2010)

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» Add other authors (4 possible)

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Clarke, Arthur C.	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Pohl, Frederik	—	main author	all editions	confirmed
Cosgrove, Liz	Designer	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Stevenson, David	Cover artist	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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Urania [Mondadori] (1587)

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Canonical title

The Last Theorem

Original title

The Last Theorem

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Epigraph

Dedication

First words

The incidents at Pearl harbor lay in the future and the United States was still at peace when a British warship steamed into Nantucket with what was later called "the most valuable cargo ever to reach American shores." (The first preamble)

There are two things in my life that I think have a bearing on the subject matter of this book, so perhaps this would be a good time to set them down. (The second preamble)

In the spring of the year 1946, in a (previously) unspoiled South Pacific atoll named Bikini, the American navy put together a fleet of ninety-odd vessels. (The third preamble)

And so now, at last, we meet this Ranjit Subramanian, the one whose long and remarkable life this book is all about.

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Wikipedia in English (3)

Keith Lofstrom

The Last Theorem

Wikipedia:WikiProject Spam/COIReports/2008, Mar 23

▾Book descriptions

When Ranjit Subramanian, a Sri Lankan with a special gift for mathematics, writes a three-page proof of Pierre de Fermat's last theorem, his achievement is hailed as a work of genius, bringing him fame and fortune. But it also brings him to the attention of the National Security Agency and a shadowy United Nations outfit called Pax per Fidem, or Peace Through Transparency, whose secretive workings belie its name. Suddenly Ranjit--together with his wife, Myra de Soyza, an expert in artificial intelligence, and their burgeoning family--finds himself swept up in world-shaking events, his genius for abstract mathematical thought put to uses that are both concrete and potentially deadly. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to anyone on Earth, an alien fleet is approaching the planet at a significant percentage of the speed of light. Their mission: to exterminate the dangerous species of primates known as homo sapiens.--From publisher description.

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