| Author | Message | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 116 Registered: 6-2010 |
This could be an easy one, but here it is: Well after his death, it saved his life. Then it wasted many others', but changed one's. | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 2643 Registered: 9-2009 |
His1=his2? Wasted=took life? Made life meaningless? Or miserable? One=one person? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 117 Registered: 6-2010 |
His1=his2? No! Wasted=took life? No Made life meaningless? Probably this Or miserable? Or maybe this One=one person? Yes, though to be correct, it changed many people's lives | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 2649 Registered: 9-2009 |
Let's call his1 Mark, His2 Robert. Was Mark HAM when he died? Is Robert HAM when his life is saved? Is the One also HAM? If so, can we call him Herbert? Are any of the people involved famous? Is it an object? A discovery? A machine? Were the people whose life was wasted made irrelevant? Are their jobs relevant? Was a job made obsolete by "it"? Is superstition involved? Religion? Science? Progress? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 119 Registered: 6-2010 |
Let's call his1 Mark, His2 Robert. Sure, BTW this is true story Was Mark HAM when he died? Yes Is Robert HAM when his life is saved? Yes Is the One also HAM? Yes If so, can we call him Herbert? Yes Are any of the people involved famous? Yes, to some degree Is it an object? No A discovery? Yesish A machine? Were the people whose life was wasted made irrelevant? No Are their jobs relevant? Yes Was a job made obsolete by "it"? No Is superstition involved? Religion? Science? This Progress? so, this | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 2658 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did it kill Mark? Did Mark make the discoverish? Science: medical science? Radiation? Biology? Chemistry? Space? Rocket science? Did this happen in the 19th century? 20th? 21st? Before the 19th? Was Herbert's life changed for the better? Worse? Just different? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 121 Registered: 6-2010 |
Did it kill Mark? No Did Mark make the discoverish? Yope Science: medical science? Radiation? Biology? Chemistry? Space? Rocket science? No>all Did this happen in the 19th century? 20th? 21st? Before the 19th? Yes Was Herbert's life changed for the better? Probably this Worse? Just different? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2402 Registered: 4-2010 |
Science: physics? Are the ones whose lives were wasted fellow scientists? Is Herbert a scientist? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 122 Registered: 6-2010 |
**CLARIFICATION** "Science" is quite a broad term; this wouldn't usually be called "science" but something more like "one of the sciences." | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 123 Registered: 6-2010 |
Science: physics? No Are the ones whose lives were wasted fellow scientists? In the same sense of "science," yes Is Herbert a scientist? Same | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2403 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is it mathematics? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 124 Registered: 6-2010 |
Is it mathematics? Yes | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2404 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is Mark a mathematician? Is Robert? Is Herbert? Are the "life-wasted"s? Is a specific mathematical law relevant? Theorem? Is a specific branch of mathematics relevant? If so, algebra? Geometry? Statistics? Trigonometry? Calculus? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 126 Registered: 6-2010 |
Is Mark a mathematician? Yes Is Robert? YesISH Is Herbert? Yes Are the "life-wasted"s? Almost certainly, most are Is a specific mathematical law relevant? Theorem? Yes Is a specific branch of mathematics relevant? Yes If so, algebra? Geometry? Statistics? Trigonometry? Calculus? None of these is really the best classification, but there is a specific category for this | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2406 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is the branch of mathematics an advanced one? Would it be learned in college? High school? Younger? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 128 Registered: 6-2010 |
Is the branch of mathematics an advanced one? "advanced" is quite ambiguous. Every branch has "advanced" parts. The branch is quite well-known, though, if not among the general public, then among 100% of mathematicians, as well as interested middle/high school students Would it be learned in college? This High school? In parts, possibly Younger? Parts, definitely | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2411 Registered: 4-2010 |
Differential equations? Word problems? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 129 Registered: 6-2010 |
Differential equations? Word problems? No, and it's also quite general | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 2668 Registered: 9-2009 |
Were "they" mathematicians? Were their life works made irrelevant? Was a lot of time and energy spent on something that someone proved futile? Or pointless? Or really easy? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 131 Registered: 6-2010 |
Were "they" mathematicians? Yes Were their life works made irrelevant? No Was a lot of time and energy spent on something that someone proved futile? This Or pointless? Or really easy? | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 2674 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did Mark create/discover a math problem? Which Robert solved? Or Herbert? Was the proof in the form of "this is impossible, here's why"? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 135 Registered: 6-2010 |
Did Mark create/discover a math problem? Yes Which Robert solved?Noish Or Herbert?Yesish Was the proof in the form of "this is impossible, here's why"?No, the statement was absolutely correct | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2419 Registered: 4-2010 |
Was the statement a theorem? Was the theorem later disproven? Proven true? Millenium Problems relevant? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 137 Registered: 6-2010 |
Was the statement a theorem? It wasn't formally a theorem until it was proven, BUT... Was the theorem later disproven? Proven true? This Millenium Problems relevant? No | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2420 Registered: 4-2010 |
Was it a hypothesis? Was Herbert the one who proved it true? And the ones whose lives were wasted had tried (and failed) to do so? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 139 Registered: 6-2010 |
Was it a hypothesis? Yes, BUT... Was Herbert the one who proved it true? Yesish And the ones whose lives were wasted had tried (and failed) to do so? Yes | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2422 Registered: 4-2010 |
Was Herbert the one who proved it beyond a doubt? Did Mark come up with the entire hypothesis? Was it assumed to be correct, even before it was confirmed? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 141 Registered: 6-2010 |
Was Herbert the one who proved it beyond a doubt? Yes, not directly though Did Mark come up with the entire hypothesis? The big hypothesis in question, yes Was it assumed to be correct, even before it was confirmed? Not quite sure how to answer; this is quite irrelevant. No decent mathematician likes to assume things | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2428 Registered: 4-2010 |
Did Robert's life being saved assist in the formin of the hypothtesis? The proof? Was his life saved from murder? Accident? Suicide? Execution? Would he have died by [LTPF list of ways to die]? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 146 Registered: 6-2010 |
Did Robert's life being saved assist in the formin of the hypothtesis? No The proof? Yope Was his life saved from murder? Accident? Suicide? This Execution? Would he have died by [LTPF list of ways to die]? irrelevant method of suicide | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2432 Registered: 4-2010 |
Did Mark save Robert's life? Relevant who did? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 149 Registered: 6-2010 |
Did Mark save Robert's life?Not directly Relevant who did? "It" did ^^ , no person directly stopped him from suicide | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 2692 Registered: 9-2009 |
Did the proof stop robert from sucide? Or the problem? Did he also waste his life trying to come up with a proof? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 153 Registered: 6-2010 |
Did the proof stop robert from sucide? This but FA Or the problem? Did he also waste his life trying to come up with a proof? No | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2442 Registered: 4-2010 |
Was Robert's suicide attempt stopped? Simply unsuccessful? Was the proof around when Robert attempted suicide? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 155 Registered: 6-2010 |
Was Robert's suicide attempt stopped? Not by any other person Simply unsuccessful? Yes, it was unsuccessful, he didn't die. Was the proof around when Robert attempted suicide? Yes, with the same FA | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2444 Registered: 4-2010 |
Did Robert attempt suicide? Would it have been an accidental suicide? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 156 Registered: 6-2010 |
Did Robert attempt suicide? Not quite; he had planned it and was preparing Would it have been an accidental suicide? No | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2446 Registered: 4-2010 |
Was the attempt ever executed? Or was his attempt thwarted? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 158 Registered: 6-2010 |
Was the attempt ever executed? No Or was his attempt thwarted? Not thwarted by any other person | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2458 Registered: 4-2010 |
Did something prevent him from actually making the attempt? Was it the hypothesis that did so? A physical object? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 160 Registered: 6-2010 |
Did something prevent him from actually making the attempt? Nothing physically prevented; he changed his mind Was it the hypothesis that did so? Not directly A physical object? More this | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 2696 Registered: 9-2009 |
Was the object a consequence of the proof? Or the hypothesis? Was it a book? Or paper? Relevant why Robert was considering suicide? Did he find life meaningless? Did the object provide new meaning to his life? Did he decide to become a mathematician instead of killing himself? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 163 Registered: 6-2010 |
Was the object a consequence of the proof? Same FA... yes Or the hypothesis? Was it a book? Or paper? This Relevant why Robert was considering suicide? No Did he find life meaningless? Did the object provide new meaning to his life? Yes Did he decide to become a mathematician instead of killing himself? Assume yes | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2475 Registered: 4-2010 |
Was it the hypothesis that gave new meaning to his life? Finding the hypothesis? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 165 Registered: 6-2010 |
Was it the hypothesis that gave new meaning to his life? Yes...not directly Finding the hypothesis? The hypothesis was found by Mark, not Robert | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2489 Registered: 4-2010 |
Did Robert decide to try and prove the hypothesis true? Did he find (not discover, but learn about) the hypothesis? And that's what saved him? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 170 Registered: 6-2010 |
Did Robert decide to try and prove the hypothesis true? No, at least not when he changed his mind about suicide Did he find (not discover, but learn about) the hypothesis? No, he was aware of its existence, but he found something else about it And that's what saved him? Yes | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2491 Registered: 4-2010 |
Did he find a flaw in it? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 172 Registered: 6-2010 |
Did he find a flaw in it? it=? the hypothesis? no. the "proof" ? yes. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2493 Registered: 4-2010 |
Did Herbert find a proof that had no flaw? Or did Robert find a flaw in Herbert's proof? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 174 Registered: 6-2010 |
Did Herbert find a proof that had no flaw? No, but then Yes Or did Robert find a flaw in Herbert's proof? No, someone else's | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2495 Registered: 4-2010 |
So Mark came up with a hypothesis, and someone make a proof of it. Robert, who was contemplating suicide, found a flaw in the proof, and this gave his life meaning. Many mathematicians wasted their lives trying to find a proof without a flaw, which Herbert eventually did. Is this sequence of events correct? Is there still more to find? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 175 Registered: 6-2010 |
So Mark came up with a hypothesis, and someone make a proof of it. Robert, who was contemplating suicide, found a flaw in the proof, and this gave his life meaning. Many mathematicians wasted their lives trying to find a proof without a flaw, which Herbert eventually did. Is this sequence of events correct? Yes Is there still more to find? The hypothesis! | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2497 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is the hypothesis related to simple operations (addition, subraction, etc.)? Exponents? Logarithms? Order of operations? Division by zero? Anything involving zero? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 176 Registered: 6-2010 |
Is the hypothesis related to simple operations (addition, subraction, etc.)? Yes Exponents? Yes Logarithms? Order of operations? ??? could you clarify? Division by zero? Anything involving zero? Well, you can make anything involve zero; probably no | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2498 Registered: 4-2010 |
Order of operations = Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction (the order by which you perform operations in a single equation). Relevant? Is the hypothesis related to a specific base? Exponent? Doubling relevant? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 177 Registered: 6-2010 |
Order of operations = Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication/Division, Addition/Subtraction (the order by which you perform operations in a single equation). Relevant? Is the hypothesis related to a specific base? Exponent? Doubling relevant? No to all (and one must always follow this order, so I still don't understand what it means for order of operations to be (ir)relevant | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2499 Registered: 4-2010 |
I meant, was the order of operations relevant in the formation of the hypothesis? Is the hypothesis well-known? Would a typical high-schooler know this? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 178 Registered: 6-2010 |
I meant, was the order of operations relevant in the formation of the hypothesis? I guess so... Is the hypothesis well-known? Yes! Would a typical high-schooler know this? Sadly, probably not, at least in the U.S. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2503 Registered: 4-2010 |
Hmmm... Is the actual mathematician (whom we've been calling "Mark") well-known? If so, did he form this hypothesis in [LTPF list of centuries]? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 180 Registered: 6-2010 |
Is the actual mathematician (whom we've been calling "Mark") well-known? "Well-known" > less than Euler but more than Cardano If so, did he form this hypothesis in [LTPF list of centuries]? 17th | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 2721 Registered: 9-2009 |
Fermat relevant? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2510 Registered: 4-2010 |
Yeah, that's gotta be it - you beat me to it. Fermat's Theorem: Excepting the Pythagorean Theorem, there is no set of numbers/exponents such that a^x + b^x = c^x. This right? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 185 Registered: 6-2010 |
Yes, and this should be enough for the ~!@#$%^&*()_+ SPOILER =-0987654321` Fermat wrote down his famous "theorem," which it was assumed to be, in the margin of a book, saying that he had a simple proof. In the 1800s, Ernst Kummer apparently proved the theorem. This part of the story is sketchy, but a young man named Paul Wolfkehl was planning to commit suicide, and decided to spend his last night in the library. There, he stumbled upon Kummer's paper and found a mistake. ... Later, Wolfskehl became an industrial businessman. When he became rich, he commissioned a million-Mark prize to the person who would prove the theorem. So many fake or false proofs were sent in over the next 100 years that preprinted cards were sent in with the words "Dear Sir: The first error in your proof of Fermat's Theorem is on page __ line __." Then, in the 1990s, British mathematician Andrew Wiles proved the Taniyama-Shimura Conjecture, which had earlier been shown to imply Fermat's Theorem. "Seek a man," the title of this puzzle, rearranges to "namesake." In fact, Fermat was born in 1601. | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2540 Registered: 4-2010 |
Brilliant puzzle, and I like the meaning of the title. I figured that Fermat was your namesake, but didn't know his birthyear. Nice! |
