Pierre De Fermat

Most famous for FermatsLastTheorem, but also known for his "little" theorem, which says that

a^p=a(mod p).

This was generalised by Euler to

a^phi(n)=1(mod n) for (a,n)=1

which is the basis of the RSA cryptosystem.

Work by Fermat is also said to have inspired IsaacNewton in his invention of calculus.

• http://www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Fermat.html
• http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9034048
• http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Fermat.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_de_Fermat