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Andrew Wiles (born 1953) is a British mathematician famous for solving one of the most legendary puzzles in math: Fermat's Last Theorem. This problem, proposed by Pierre de Fermat in 1637, challenged mathematicians for over three centuries. It stated that no three whole numbers could satisfy the equation xn+yn=zn for n>2, and Fermat famously claimed he had a proof but never wrote it down.

Wiles first encountered the problem as a 10-year-old in his local library. Fascinated, he vowed to solve it someday. After years of preparation, he secretly worked on the problem for seven years in the 1990s, pouring his life into it. In 1994, he finally presented his proof, which combined deep ideas from modern mathematics like elliptic curves and modular forms.

Wiles’ achievement earned him global recognition, including the prestigious Abel Prize. His work not only solved Fermat’s Last Theorem but also advanced areas of mathematics used in cryptography, the science of securing digital communications.