Fermat number

noun

An integer which is one more than two raised to a power which is itself a power of two (i.e., is expressible in the form 2^(2ⁿ)+1 for some n>0); equivalently, a number that is one more than two raised to some power (is expressible as 2ⁿ+1) and is prime.

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Meanings

nounFermat number (plural Fermat numbers)

plural Fermat numbers

  1. mathematicsAn integer which is one more than two raised to a power which is itself a power of two (i.e., is expressible in the form 2^(2ⁿ)+1 for some n>0); equivalently, a number that is one more than two raised to some power (is expressible as 2ⁿ+1) and is prime.

Origin

Named after French lawyer and amateur mathematician Pierre de Fermat (1601–1665).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian число́ на Ферма́
  • число́ на Ферма́ (čisló na Fermá)integer which is one more than two raised to a power which is itself a power of two
Polish liczba Fermata
  • liczba Fermatainteger which is one more than two raised to a power which is itself a power of two
Cite this entry
APA

Fermat number. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Fermat%20number

MLA

“Fermat number.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Fermat%20number. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Fermat number,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Fermat%20number.

Source: Fermat number on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.