Elusive Proof, Elusive Prover: A New Mathematical Mystery

New York Times ^ | August 15, 2006 | DENNIS OVERBYE

[LibWhacker]

It takes a thousand pages of math to do that?

It may be possible to do it in fewer pages. There's no claim that this is the shortest possible proof.

The situation may be rather like the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, for which Fermat claimed to have the proof, but which he said was too long to write down in the narrow margin of Diophantus' Arithmetica. If he did have it, it certainly wasn't the 100+ page monster derived by modern mathematicians.

[RussP]

I shouldn't have called you an idiot. But neither should you have insulted me for simply asking about the practical implications of a mathematical proof. If the people who understand this proof knew of any practical uses, you can bet they would be touting them.

[zeugma]

I like pictorials.

Have you ever seen a one sided figure?

How about this?

A Mobius Strip

[grey_whiskers]

Math *PING*.

[wyattearp]

I suspect that you were aware of that point prior to your reply, but chose to ignore it for jocular reasons.

Gravity is fought with levity. ;-)

[wyattearp]

That is not a mathematical question. Perhaps, an E=Mc squared figures into that, but it is a question of science. Is matter particles of light? Or better yet, are particles of light matter? Einstein theorized one in the same...

The best scrawl on a bathroom wall that I ever saw was "E=MC^2 + 10y.

I figured that it was a frustrated physics major.

[wyattearp]

Matter is the eventual resultant after results of another forward initiative by Infinite Mind in an effort to become greater than It's own Infinite status...by becoming also finite, in unlimited ways, degrees, over eternity (creating time) then that Self occupying those structures in Witness.

There eat that for breakfast

I picked a heck of a day to skip breakfast...

Or did I..?

[wyattearp]

I think that's what the 60's drug culture was all about. In fact, I think they often "ate that for breakfast".

Back in those days, my dad ate enough drugs to kill ten of most people. Amazing that he's still alive. Not exactly all there, but...

[Ciexyz]

A beautiful mind bump.

[BulletBobCo]

Here's the best I could do.

[beyond the sea]

I have detected a flaw in Dr. Perelman's work. You have 100 years to prove me wrong.

Beautiful! Very funny.

[Vanders9]

I suspect that you were aware of that point prior to your reply, but chose to ignore it for jocular reasons.

Gravity is fought with levity. ;-)


I suspect, in this case, it's more true to say that Gravity is frought with levity :)

[Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek]

"I still count 5. As the nose actually still has two that form a connected passage back through the mouth."

Good point.

[Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek]

'I still count 5. As the nose actually still has two that form a connected passage back through the mouth.'


To: 'ThePythonicCow',
Thanks for your post#50, with the nice diagram and discussion which rules out the holes through the ears. Together with 'dalight's correction, that leaves us with 3 holes.

Now for naming the object to which we mammals are homeomorphic:

1 hole - torus, or donut, or bagel
2 hole - figure 8
3 hole - pretzel?

any other plausible candidates for the 3 hole case?

[Blue_Ridge_Mtn_Geek]

First math article in a long time.

True. This calls for a math ping.

---

You all may be interested in checking out the article in the September 2006 issue of Notices (of the American Mathematics Society) in which it becomes evident that there will be a brisk competition from some Chinese investigators for the Clay prize. Since Perelman has a history of turning down awards, this may make for an interesting discussion in the mathematics community - with both the Fields Medal and the Clay Millenium Problem prize at stake.

http://www.ams.org/notices/200608/comm-perelman.pdf
Conjectures No More?: Consensus Forming on the Proofs of Poincaré and Geometrization Conjectures - by Allyn Jackson

The article contains links to Perelman's papers, the recent analysis of them, and a graphics-rich Power Point presentation by the Chinese competitors for the accolades.

[phantomworker]

Interesting. Thanks!

[dalight]

There is a big question whether a pretzel has any holes at all. I would say no. Instead a pretzel is a rod bent and pressed in twist without any holes. The surfaces at the intersections are pressed together and baking holds them in place.

[ThePythonicCow]

plausible candidates for the 3 hole case?

t-shirt

[bruinbirdman]

Is it true that post graduate mathematicians don't use numbers?

yitbos