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As others are pointing out: the paper's title is "elementary" (not "trivial" a in the current link title). Both of these have different and accepted meanings i
by jmount 10y ago
As others are pointing out: the paper's title is "elementary" (not "trivial" a in the current link title). Both of these have different and accepted meanings in mathematics.
"Elementary" roughly means doesn't bring in results from different fields (such as using calculus to prove a theorem about a sum or product). "Elementary" proofs can be quite difficult, and it can be quite a feat (well worth a publication) to find one for a standard result.
"Trivial" usually means something closer to easy, or means there is some linkage already implying the result (just in disguise).
- woopwoop 10y agoIn fact, there is a negative correlation between a proof being elementary and a proof being trivial. The reason people like abstraction is that it makes difficult proofs trivial. The reason people don't like abstraction is that it makes elementary proofs non-elementary.