Friday STEMinar Talk on A Christmas Theorem
The STEMinar lights up the Library again this Friday with a talk on A Christmas Theorem: Sum of Two Squares by Dr. Damiano Fulghesu. The STEMinar meets 3-4pm in Library 103 with refreshments at 2:30 in the Library Porch. A description of the talk is below.
Title: A Christmas Theorem: Sums of Two Squares
Abstract: In this seminar, we explore a classical problem in number theory: which positive integers can be written as the sum of two perfect squares? Beginning with simple numerical patterns and prime factorizations, we build toward the complete characterization. The proof of this theorem, often called Fermat’s Christmas Theorem in its prime case, draws on ideas developed by Girard, Fermat, Euler, Gauss, and Dedekind across several centuries.