Do you find some mathematical activities useless?
04-01-2018, 06:00 AM
Post: #7
 Paul Dale Senior Member Posts: 1,559 Joined: Dec 2013
RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless?
Currently we believe that $$\pi, e$$ and $$\sqrt 2$$ are normal numbers but have no proof. One of these searches could provide convincing evidence that the current belief is in fact incorrect. This would have deep implications for mathematics.

The largest prime is another matter entirely. Thanks to some old guy named Euclid, we've a proof that there is always another prime. However, if somebody found the largest twin prime, that would be exciting. We have a proof that the reciprocal sum of twin primes is finite but no proof they are. Interesting but it would likely have fewer implications. A proof that there are finitely many primes of the form $$2^n-1$$ would also have implications for perfect numbers. All of the largest primes found thus far are of this form.

How many years was it before conic sections were useful? Over 2,000 years. Who can predict what might or might not be useful in the future?

Pauli
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 Messages In This Thread Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 03-31-2018, 10:29 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Maximilian Hohmann - 03-31-2018, 11:46 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Dieter - 03-31-2018, 12:17 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 03-31-2018, 06:24 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Arno K - 03-31-2018, 09:26 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Dan - 04-01-2018, 04:36 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Paul Dale - 04-01-2018 06:00 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Dan - 04-02-2018, 04:49 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Gamo - 04-01-2018, 09:01 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Maximilian Hohmann - 04-01-2018, 12:29 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Joe Horn - 04-05-2018, 04:51 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Maximilian Hohmann - 04-05-2018, 05:55 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - zeno333 - 04-05-2018, 06:15 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - SlideRule - 04-05-2018, 07:55 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - zeno333 - 04-06-2018, 03:19 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Paul Dale - 04-06-2018, 03:24 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - SlideRule - 04-06-2018, 12:18 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Dan - 04-07-2018, 08:14 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Maximilian Hohmann - 04-07-2018, 10:42 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Dan - 04-09-2018, 02:06 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Joe Horn - 04-07-2018, 03:07 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Gerald H - 04-07-2018, 05:13 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Gerald H - 04-07-2018, 04:57 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 04-07-2018, 07:42 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Gerald H - 04-07-2018, 09:18 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Dave Britten - 04-01-2018, 12:47 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Maximilian Hohmann - 04-01-2018, 01:24 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - rprosperi - 04-01-2018, 01:36 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Maximilian Hohmann - 04-01-2018, 01:48 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - rprosperi - 04-01-2018, 02:30 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - John Keith - 04-01-2018, 10:09 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - zeno333 - 04-04-2018, 10:07 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 04-01-2018, 07:25 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 04-01-2018, 01:30 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - KF6GPE - 04-01-2018, 03:08 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Maximilian Hohmann - 04-01-2018, 03:26 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 04-01-2018, 07:29 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Maximilian Hohmann - 04-01-2018, 09:17 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - SlideRule - 04-01-2018, 04:05 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 04-01-2018, 09:23 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Csaba Tizedes - 04-04-2018, 08:07 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 04-06-2018, 05:38 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Jim Horn - 04-07-2018, 04:21 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 04-07-2018, 11:08 AM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 04-23-2018, 03:04 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Valentin Albillo - 04-24-2018, 05:27 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Egan Ford - 04-25-2018, 08:58 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Valentin Albillo - 04-26-2018, 03:10 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Egan Ford - 04-25-2018, 08:13 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 04-25-2018, 09:13 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - Egan Ford - 04-25-2018, 11:38 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 04-28-2018, 07:36 PM RE: Do you find some mathematical activities useless? - pier4r - 04-30-2018, 08:53 AM

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