8 replies to this topic

[RavenStorm]

I saw this while reading news and thought this would be a good place to share it. Apparently a billionaire is offering one million dollars to anyone who can prove the Beal Conjecture (A^x + B^y = C^z).

 

Story here: http://www.ksdk.com/...r-math-equation

 

 

 

[Jamesx]

lol nice amount of prize money. However I'm not very good at maths and I have no idea what that equation means

[WingedPanther73]

As a mathematician, I can say that if it's true, proving it will be an absolute beast. If false, we can just throw computing power at it and wait a while

[BenW]

Maths is not something I enjoy. Can anyone tell me how an equation like that would be considered proved?

[WingedPanther73]

If you remember your high school geometry class at all, think of something like that, only a bazillion times more complicated. A typical high school geometry class proof requires only a few lines of text and a couple diagrams to work out. I did a geometry proof for my own amusement a few years back that took a total of 200 pages of text, calculations, and diagrams to prove. What I did would be considered "short" by comparison to what that thing will take.

[BenW]

I don't think I ever took a geometry class I stopped taking maths as soon as I could, because I didn't understand it.

[lespauled]

That's amazing.  I thing 99.9% of all programmers are above average at math.

[WingedPanther73]

I know some very good programmers who hate any math above algebra I. It all depends on what you're doing.

[lespauled]

That's amazing.  I thing 99.9% of all programmers are above average at math.

 

s/b think