4 ms·

it's worth reading just for one of the best book in-jokes ever - see the introductory part "Notes on the Exercises" of Volume 2 "Seminumerical Algorithms" 3. [

by pajop 11y ago

it's worth reading just for one of the best book in-jokes ever - see the introductory part "Notes on the Exercises" of Volume 2 "Seminumerical Algorithms" 3. [M50] Prove that when n is an integer, n > 2, the equation xn + yn = zn has no solution in positive integers x, y, z. Knuth's book was published in 1973. The initial solution to this exercise was solved by a then Princeton professor in 1993 and was finalized by same professor and his former student by 1995.

kjs3 11y ago
It's kinda important to note here that the "M50" designation indicates that the excercise is an "unsolved research problem". It's not an in-joke; Knuth is presenting unsolved problems with the intention that the student would consider trying solving them.
- pajop 11y ago
  btw, if you didn't find an in-joke [1] funny [2][3][4][5] then it's probably because of a very good reason :) Knuth himself found it funny [6] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-joke https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-joke [2] https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.folklore.computers/qfwJTPPFdsw https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.folklore.compute... [3] https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/38gt65/wasnt_expecting_my_biggest_laugh_of_the_day_to/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/38gt65/was... [4] http://texthook.com/blog/2013/07/01/reading-knuth/ http://texthook.com/blog/2013/07/01/reading-knuth/ [5] http://tal.forum2.org/story_45 http://tal.forum2.org/story_45 [6] http://www.tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb17-1/tb50knut.pdf http://www.tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb17-1/tb50knut.pdf (page 10)
  - kjs3 11y ago
    You're of course right; I should have considered my response more. I suppose it would be more accurate to say the M50 problems are not only an in-joke in the sense that one always hopes for a George Dantzig moment. But clearly the inclusion of something like FLT has to be done with a at least a little chuckle from the author.
lokedhs 11y ago
If I recall correctly, newer editions of the book has lowered the difficulty of this (M49?) as it has been solved.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

by pajop 11y ago

kjs3 11y ago

It's kinda important to note here that the "M50" designation indicates that the excercise is an "unsolved research problem". It's not an in-joke; Knuth is presenting unsolved problems with the intention that the student would consider trying solving them.

pajop 11y ago
btw, if you didn't find an in-joke [1] funny [2][3][4][5] then it's probably because of a very good reason :) Knuth himself found it funny [6] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-joke https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-joke [2] https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.folklore.computers/qfwJTPPFdsw https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.folklore.compute... [3] https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/38gt65/wasnt_expecting_my_biggest_laugh_of_the_day_to/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/38gt65/was... [4] http://texthook.com/blog/2013/07/01/reading-knuth/ http://texthook.com/blog/2013/07/01/reading-knuth/ [5] http://tal.forum2.org/story_45 http://tal.forum2.org/story_45 [6] http://www.tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb17-1/tb50knut.pdf http://www.tug.org/TUGboat/Articles/tb17-1/tb50knut.pdf (page 10)
- kjs3 11y ago
  You're of course right; I should have considered my response more. I suppose it would be more accurate to say the M50 problems are not only an in-joke in the sense that one always hopes for a George Dantzig moment. But clearly the inclusion of something like FLT has to be done with a at least a little chuckle from the author.

lokedhs 11y ago

If I recall correctly, newer editions of the book has lowered the difficulty of this (M49?) as it has been solved.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]