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If the fact that no-one has yet come up with a way to either solve a particular mathematical problem (e.g. factorisation in polynomial-or-better time), or to pr
by Karellen 4y ago
If the fact that no-one has yet come up with a way to either solve a particular mathematical problem (e.g. factorisation in polynomial-or-better time), or to prove that no such solution exists, means that a field has never matured, then you could say that the entire field of mathematics has never matured, because e.g. the Goldbach Conjecture has never been either proven or disproven.
Taking that line of reasoning further, given Godel's Incompleteness Theorem you could say that mathematics as a field will never have matured.
- jancsika 4y agoIt doesn't seem elucidating to make an analogy between a thing-- math-- and it's own subset-- crypto. Worse, crypto is defined by essentially having the added requirement to at least not be the weakest link in keeping jewels locked in a safe. In that sense the addition of axioms becomes a liability in a way they are not in broad math. Put another way, math as a field was able to mature because it lacked this hard requirement that crypto has. If mathematicians suddenly decided add this requirement of jewel-keeping to math broadly then-- bam-- math instantly becomes the same "immature" field that crypto currently is.
- Shorel 4y agoWell, math was that "immature" field in the XVI century: https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-scandalous-history-of-the-cubic-formula-20220630/ https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-scandalous-history-of-the...