The great mathematical problems - Ian Stewart

There are some mathematical problems whose significance goes beyond the
ordinary - like Fermat's Last Theorem or Goldbach's Conjecture - they
are the enigmas which define mathematics.The Great Mathematical Problems
explains why these problems exist, why they matter, what drives
mathematicians to incredible lengths to solve them and where they stand
in the context of mathematics and science as a whole. It contains solved
problems - like the Poincar Conjecture, cracked by the eccentric
genius Grigori Perelman, who refused academic honours and a
million-dollar prize for his work, and ones which, like the Riemann
Hypothesis, remain baffling after centuries.Stewart is the guide
to this mysterious and exciting world, showing how modern mathematicians
constantly rise to the challenges set by their predecessors, as the
great mathematical problems of the past succumb to the new techniques
and ideas of the present.