Pierre Fermat: his private and professional life (Q735091)

The paper was first presented at a meeting on Fermat in Toulouse in 2001, and accepted for publication in a journal which finally never appeared; this explains that the very meticulous documentation stops in that year. An English version with more rudimentary references but otherwise very similar appeared in \textit{European Mathematical Society, Newsletter} No. 42 (December 2001), pp. 12--16. (Information not given in the paper itself). The aim of the paper is to present some aspects of the professional and private life ``that are not presented in well-known biographies and biographical sketches'', or, as it turns out, seen differently because of uncritical use of sources. The ``private life'' also covers the family history from the grandfather onward, in particular its ascent into the \textit{noblesse de robe} and the pecuniary circumstances required for that. The ``professional life'' is not the life of the mathematician -- as it is argued, Fermat not only was but also saw himself as a lawyer and a \textit{conseiller} at the Parlement de Toulouse, who only cultivated mathematics (and philology) in his sometimes very scarce spare time. After discussing the meagre evidence elucidating Fermat's education at least indirectly, the author presents a very clear account of this institution (and in general of the \textit{Parlement} institution of the epoch), of Fermat's roles as \textit{conseiller} at the institution and his intense activity as such. The widespread belief that Fermat was a mediocre \textit{conseiller} and jurist who tried to keep aloof of conflicts is shown to be contrary to documented facts, and to build on an assertion made by an enemy of his to an \textit{intendant} succinctly reporting to Colbert. A reference is given to another article by the same author arguing that Fermat was not born in 1601 but only in 1607, but the point is not elaborated.