119 points

This guy would not be happy to learn about the 1+1=2 proof

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55 points

One part of the 360 page proof in Principia Mathematica:

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26 points

It’s not a 360 page proof, it just appears that many pages into the book. That’s the whole proof.

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9 points

Weak-ass proof. You could fit this into a margin.

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17 points

Principia mathematica should not be used as source book for any actual mathematics because it’s an outdated and flawed attempt at formalising mathematics.

Axiomatic set theory provides a better framework for elementary problems such as proving 1+1=2.

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6 points

I’m not believing it until I see your definition of arithmetical addition.

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1 point

Friggin nerds!

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23 points

A friend of mine took Introduction to Real Analysis in university and told me their first project was “prove the real number system.”

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15 points

Real analysis when fake analysis enters

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1 point

I don’t know about fake analysis but I imagine it gets quite complex

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7 points

Isn’t “1+1” the definition of 2?

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36 points

That assumes that 1 and 1 are the same thing. That they’re units which can be added/aggregated. And when they are that they always equal a singular value. And that value is 2.

It’s obvious but the proof isn’t about stating the obvious. It’s about making clear what are concrete rules in the symbolism/language of math I believe.

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6 points

This is what happens when the mathematicians spend too much time thinking without any practical applications. Madness!

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2 points

Isn’t 1 and +1 well defined by the Peano Axioms by using the intersection of all infinite successor functions and starting at the empty set?

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23 points
*

Using the Peano axioms, which are often used as the basis for arithmetic, you first define a successor function, often denoted as •’ and the number 0. The natural numbers (including 0) then are defined by repeated application of the successor function (of course, you also first need to define what equality is):

0 = 0
1 := 0’
2 := 1’ = 0’’

etc

Addition, denoted by •+• , is then recursively defined via

a + 0 = a
a + b’ = (a+b)’

which quickly gives you that 1+1=2. But that requires you to thake these axioms for granted. Mathematicians proved it with fewer assumptions, but the proof got a tad verbose

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4 points

The “=” symbol defines an equivalence relation. So “1+1=2” is one definition of “2”, defining it as equivalent to the addition of 2 identical unit values.

2*1 also defines 2. As does any even quantity divided by half it’s value. 2 is also the successor to 1 (and predecessor to 3), if you base your system on counting (or anti-counting).

The youtuber Vihart has a video that whimsically explores the idea that numbers and operations can be looked at in different ways.

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1 point

I’ll always upvote a ViHart video.

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2 points

Or the pigeonhole principle.

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2 points
*

That’s a bit of a misnomer, it’s a derivation of the entirety of the core arithmetical operations from axioms. They use 1+1=2 as an example to demonstrate it.

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31 points

A lot of things seem obvious until someone questions your assumptions. Are these closed forms on the Euclidean plane? Are we using Cartesian coordinates? Can I use the 3rd dimension? Can I use 27 dimensions? Can I (ab)use infinities? Is the embedded space well defined, and can I poke a hole in the embedded space?

What if the parts don’t self-intersect, but they’re so close that when printed as physical parts the materials fuse so that for practical purposes they do intersect because this isn’t just an abstract problem but one with real-world tolerances and consequences?

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Yes, the paradox of Gabriel’s Horn presumes that a volume of paint translates to an area of paint (and that paint when used is infinitely flat). Often mathematics and physics make strange bedfellows.

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1 point

until someone questions your assumptions

Oh, come on. This is math. This is the one place in the universe where all of our assumptions are declared at the outset and questioning them makes about as much sense as questioning “would this science experiment still work in a universe where gravity went the wrong way”. Please just let us have this?

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1 point

If that were true almost every non trivial proof would be way way wayyyy too long.

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19 points

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6 points

It’s all jokes and fun until you meet Riemann series theorem

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1 point

Tetris’s Theorem: The sum of the series of every Riemann Zero is equal to a number not greater than or less than zero.

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18 points
*

yea this is one of those theorems but history is studded with “the proof is obvious” lemmas that has taken down entire sets of theorems (and entire PhD theses)

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11 points

You only needed to choose 2 points and prove that they can’t be connected by a continuous line. Half of your obviousness rant

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3 points

prove it then.

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7 points

It’s fucking obvious!

Seriously, I once had to prove that mulplying a value by a number between 0 and 1 decreased it’s original value, i.e. effectively defining the unary, which should be an axiom.

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5 points

Mathematicians like to have as little axioms as possible because any axiom is essentially an assumption that can be wrong.

Also proving elementary results like your example with as little tools as possible is a great exercise to learn mathematical deduction and to understand the relation between certain elementary mathematical properties.

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3 points

It can’t be an axiom if it can be defined by other axioms. An axiom can not be formally proven

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3 points
*

So you need to proof x•c < x for 0<=c<1?

Isn’t that just:

xc < x | ÷x

c < x/x (for x=/=0)

c < 1 q.e.d.

What am I missing?

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0 points

One point on the line

Take 2 points on normal on the opposite sides

Try to connect it

Wow you can’t

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6 points

This isn’t a rigorous mathematic proof that would prove that it holds true in every case. You aren’t wrong, but this is a colloquial definition of proof, not a mathematical proof.

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1 point
*

Only works for a smooth curve with a neighbourhood around it. I think you need the transverse regular theorem or something.

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Math Memes

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