Posted on 08/14/2010 7:57:39 PM PDT by LibWhacker
Initially hailed as a solution to the biggest question in computer science, the latest attempt to prove P ≠ NP otherwise known as the "P vs NP" problem seems to be running into trouble.
Two prominent computer scientists have pointed out potentially "fatal flaws" in the draft proof by Vinay Deolalikar of Hewlett-Packard Labs in Palo Alto, California.
Since the 100-page proof exploded onto the internet a week ago, mathematicians and computer scientists have been racing to make sense of it.
The problem concerns the speed at which a computer can accomplish a task such as factorising a number. Roughly speaking, P is the set of problems that can be computed quickly, while NP contains problems for which the answer can be checked quickly. Serious hole?
It is generally suspected that P ≠ NP. If this is so, it would impose severe limits on what computers can accomplish. Deolalikar claims to have proved this. If he turns out to be correct, he will earn himself a $1 million Millennium prize from the Clay Mathematics Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...
You know, the sad part about expiraments in education, is the kids that get screwed by it are screwed forever.
The teachers just try something else - but the kids are screwed.
I guess so, you know how the blurbs we write can get misinterpreted.
A modern algebra professor took us (his class) on a little two or three week detour of Georg Cantor and infinity. Wow, what a beautiful, eye opening experience that was!
I hate the way elementary math is taught: hit the little brats over the head with a bazillion addition and subtraction problems in the second grade. Similarly with multilplication and division problems in the third grade. Then each year until... oh, I don’t know... the boys are shaving... make them do the same problems over and over again with ever larger numbers. Boooooooooring! By the time they begin algebra, you’re guaranteed they’ll all hate math.
Everyone should be familiar with aleph 0 and aleph 1 by seventh grade!
They need to ask P-Daddy.
Yes, and then they are almost prepared for the Snake Lemma http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etbcKWEKnvg
Isn't this what the ruling elite keep trying to get us to believe? Oh wait, you said smart people!
The only Aleph I remember is that Trebeck guy.
What a rat! That's the last time I ever discuss Deolalikar's paper with Neil in Hooter's on a Friday night..........the punk's taking all the credit!
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