3 ms·
It can be a one-liner, but you'll need more language. That is, you'll need terms that encode mathematical truths that currently can only be expressed as several
by anonymous 13y ago
It can be a one-liner, but you'll need more language. That is, you'll need terms that encode mathematical truths that currently can only be expressed as several pages.
Think of this - I can use the number two and refer to it with just a single character - 2. However, properly stating all its properties and what it is starting from just the axioms of set theory, I'll need quite a lot of pages.
- VLM 13y agoMaybe a good way to resonate the situation with HN would be you wanna store the number 2. Well, if you only know and are permitted to use classic IEEE 754 floating point then this is going to be a really long story. But once someone "invents" binary integers and its widely accepted that you're "allowed" to assume everyone understands them, then to store the number 2, you just squirt out a 8-bit binary integer word 00000010 and call it good. And that's how "lets store the number 2" goes from 1000 pages and ten hours of lecture to explain to CS grads, to some 5 minute Kahn academy video that any goof off the street can more or less understand. There is no proof that any simpler explanation exists. Its quite possible no one will ever teach the proof of FLT to grade school kids. But if it ever happens it'll be like the analogy above.