Classic maths puzzle cracked at last (May lead to advances in particle physics & computer security)

NewScientist.com news service ^ | 03/21/2005 | Maggie McKee

[SteveMcKing]

"For example, the number of partitions for any number ending in 4 or 9 is divisible by 5."

Since we happen to use a base 10 system (for no other reason than we learn to count on 10 fingers), do problems like this really matter? Is there an equivalent observation to be had in binary, trinary, or any other base? If not, then why should we care about such silly patterns?

[MacDorcha]

"How is it a "puzzle"? It's a coincidence, or a feature of mathematics but what is so puzzling about it? Tell me why math has this feature, and then you will be on to something. The article alludes to "why" but doesn't spell it out, and I don't think that it is possible to say why prime numbers have this feature, that's just the way it is."

No such thing as a "coincidence" in math. If one things operates in a given way, all related fields act the same way. It's how our logic grasps it.

Think of pi. Is 3.141592653... in all circles a coincidence? Or does it have implications in how we handle geometry?

[Kevin OMalley]

Somebody needs to take a grammars class.


You stole my comment. Now I'm stuck with just... read later bump. ;-)

[Billthedrill]

It's because the whole word ends in an "S" - mathematics. It's one of those irritating maybe-plural-maybe-not words like "Politics." Popular usage is "Mathematics is a lovely field of study," and "Politics is a very lucrative line of work," but "Hillary's politics are corrupt, evil, and cryptofascist." Don't ask me why. I think the English did it just to p!ss us off.

[RadioAstronomer]

Chemistry, mechanics, physics, STOCK MARKET... this stuff can go anywhere.

There was an extremely dark movie made a few years ago using this premise called "Pi".

[Larry Lucido]

I saw Ken Ono give a talk on this.

Didn't he cause the breakup of a famous group of mathemeticians back in the 70's?

[talleyman]

Pi are round, cornbread are squared...

[MacDorcha]

If you used a base 12 math system, 5 would STILL go in to 10 twice.

The functions of math don't change with your method of keeping track.

I thought about what you said as well.

[Larry Lucido]

Okay, I'm going away now. I admit I have nothing substantive to contribute to this thread, being unlearned in any of the various maths.

[MacDorcha]

We dump their tea, they screw with our language!

[bedolido]

Is there an equivalent observation to be had in binary, trinary, or any other base?

try it in hexidecimal (base 16). 1 thru 10, plus A thru F.

old mainframe programmer speaks of nightmares from the past.

[MacDorcha]

Still haven't seen it. Want to though.

[ops33]

I read the article but I still don't understand CBS's new show, Numbers.

[RightWhale]

The question is meaningless if there can be no answer.

[AmishDude]

Think of performing arithmetic, but when you give the final answer, give the remainder upon division by 8.

1*1=1

3*3=1

5*5=1

7*7=1

Furthermore, if you multiply any two of {1,3,5,7}, you get something in that set. But with this kind of arithmetic, 1 has four square roots.

[bedolido]

Didn't he cause the breakup of a famous group of mathemeticians back in the 70's?

lol... weren't they called the prime-tles? (sorry)

[Erasmus]

There was an extremely dark movie made a few years ago using this premise called "Pi".

Which appears to be part of the inspiration for the current TV series "NUMB3RS."

[cinives]

contraction of "mathenatics" - maths.

[Larry Lucido]

Yes, for a time they went to India and became followers of the Guru Ramanujan.

[Billthedrill]

We dump their tea, they screw with our language!

Yeah, but we got 'em back. We talked them into playing baseball with a wooden ball and no gloves. MUhahahahaha....