Harry_the_cat
Elite Member
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2016
- Messages
- 3,695
Check out these methods of mathematical proof. "Proof by illegibility" is probably my favourite.
I liked all of them.
I predict that Dan's favorite ones will be-
- Proof by convenience: "It would be very nice if it were true, so..."
- Proof by imagination: "Well, we'll pretend it's true..."
Tell your son that there is always space in the margin, especially for a proof! Actually isn't that why there is a margin?My sons added following:
..........Proof by lack of space in the margin.........
NO! The proper phrase is "margin for errors." You need some place to put them.Tell your son that there is always space in the margin, especially for a proof! Actually isn't that why there is a margin?
You mean Fermat did not have sufficient margin of error for last theorem?NO! The proper phrase is "margin for errors." You need some place to put them.
The area of the margin was a > 0. His margin for error in terms of his proof wasYou mean Fermat did not have sufficient margin of error for last theorem?
I think Wiles would not be too happy if the proof could fit in a margin.You mean Fermat did not have sufficient margin of error for last theorem?
I would never doubt Fermat. Even though he did have many wrong 'theorems'The area of the margin was a > 0. His margin for error in terms of his proof was
[MATH]\dfrac{a}{0} = \infty.[/MATH]
Obviously his margin was insufficient.
Tell your son to invest in paper tablecloths. You can just continue you work without the "lack of space" excuse.My sons added following:
..........Proof by lack of space in the margin
..........Proof by tessellation: "This proof is the same as the last.” - This is proof by induction
..........Proof by avoidance: Limit of proof by postponement as it approaches infinity