So here's a curious mathematical fact, due to Kurt Goedel

Goedel is known for a few mind-blowers but this is my favourite: no computable system of logic can be both consistent and complete.

In lay terms, this says that there are unprovable things which are nonetheless true, under any reasonable set of logical rules you care to dream up. You can't define logical deduction in any way which avoids this.

And yes you're right about proofs - for example Wiles' proof of Fermat's Last Theorem is truly understood by only a few thousand people at most on the planet (I am not one of them - I get the gist but not the detail).

Posted By: Old Man on November 2nd 2016 at 18:15:36

Message Thread

P versus NP problem. If a Wrather could quickly solve this, you get $1 million dollars... (General Chat) - DrDublin, Nov 2, 17:28:03
- P will kick shit through NP anyday. (General Chat) - CauldRon, Nov 2, 17:51:18
- I see no problems with the N&P. All the cool kids sit there 😎 (n/m) (General Chat) - Bravo win or die, Nov 2, 17:34:00
  - #winning! :) (n/m) (General Chat) - DrDublin, Nov 2, 17:35:53
- In a minute Dubs. I'm presently tied up knocking up a proof for the Riemann Hypothesis (n/m) (General Chat) - Under soil heating, Nov 2, 17:33:25
  - This modern day malaise, this infectious laziness (General Chat) - Under soil heating, Nov 2, 17:57:28
    - Cos it's bloody hard. As is the Twin Primes conjecture, which is much easier to state (General Chat) - Old Man, Nov 2, 17:59:50
      - Reading about these unsolved problems, half the problem seems to actually prove... (General Chat) - DrDublin, Nov 2, 18:06:04
        
        So here's a curious mathematical fact, due to Kurt Goedel (General Chat) - Old Man, Nov 2, 18:15:36
        
        Doubtless you've read Hofstadter's Gödel, Escher, Bach? (General Chat) - Arizona Bay, Nov 2, 18:25:31
  - Typical Autumnal Wrath excuse, get slow during the colder months. Don't take too long pls (n/m) (General Chat) - DrDublin, Nov 2, 17:34:37
- It's very obvious P != NP (General Chat) - Old Man, Nov 2, 17:30:36
  - Can we go 50/50 on the prize as I brought it to your attention? (n/m) (General Chat) - DrDublin, Nov 2, 17:32:12
    - Yep no problem at all. (General Chat) - Old Man, Nov 2, 17:33:52
      - Ha, that's more than a few bottle fulls. (n/m) (General Chat) - DrDublin, Nov 2, 17:35:09
        
        I love a challenge (n/m) (General Chat) - Old Man, Nov 2, 17:36:42

Reply to Message

In order to add a post to the WotB Message Board you must be a registered WotB user.

If you are not yet registered then please visit the registration page. You should ensure that their browser is setup to accept cookies.