2 HS students from NOLA shake up the world of math in a huge way... (1 Viewer)

[DCSaints_Fan]

You're really struggling with that analogy. Read it again, that's exactly what I said. Of course it's not what they did or what they were setting out to do. You criticized them for doing a proof using trig by comparing it to the people who proved the theorem without using trig.

Based on your earlier post, it seems you're just catching on to that fact and trying to change your tune. At any rate, I have no faith you will correctly interpret their proof.

That wasn't the main thrust of the criticism. That point there was that I don't see how using more complex concepts (trig) to prove simpler ones (Pythagorean identity) gives you a whole lot of insight.

I suspect they still have the Pythagorean theorem embedded in their assumptions, but I believe involves a degree of high level of geometric formalism as I was alluding to in Part I. In the paper they provide an alternative definition of the sien and cosine function based on the unit circle. Now the problem is do you define circle as a set of points equidistance from a point, which requires a definition of distance ...

 

[livefromDC]

I'm really failing to see the real impact. There have been hundreds of proofs, many of which are much more intuitive and do not involve trig, only geometric constructions and algebra (which they also use)

That wasn't the main thrust of the criticism. That point there was that I don't see how using more complex concepts (trig) to prove simpler ones (Pythagorean identity) gives you a whole lot of insight.

Which indicates that you're still missing the point. The Pythagorean Theorem doesn't need to be proven. It doesn't need another proof. The entire point is to use a method that hadn't been done before. There's no reason to use try to prove the theorem other than to attempt to do something people haven't been able to do. Math for math's sake.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

You're really struggling with that analogy. Read it again, that's exactly what I said. Of course it's not what they did or what they were setting out to do. You criticized them for doing a proof using trig by comparing it to the people who proved the theorem without using trig.

Based on your earlier post, it seems you're just catching on to that fact and trying to change your tune. At any rate, I have no faith you will correctly interpret their proof.

let him cook
while recognizing that 'cook' is an undefined term

 

[livefromDC]

let him cook
while recognizing that 'cook' is an undefined term

Using a paper submitted by 2 high schoolers to try to show off your math prowess is unreal, but I guess on par for 2024.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

but I guess on par for 2024.

What really is a number?

 

[DCSaints_Fan]

I can see this thread has devolved into personal attacks and there is a lack of interest in discussing the paper itself. As such I don't really find any purpose in continuing to post in this thread.

 

[Sun Wukong]

I can see this thread has devolved into personal attacks and there is a lack of interest in discussing the paper itself. As such I don't really find any purpose in continuing to post in this thread.

Unfortunate, as I was looking forward to your analysis on this. Always lame when actual discourse gets derailed by childish outbursts.

 

[DCSaints_Fan]

Unfortunate, as I was looking forward to your analysis on this. Always lame when actual discourse gets derailed by childish outbursts.

Thanks, I'll continue, probably this weekend.

I admit myself was derailed by a discussion of the media

So I will totally focus on just the paper itself now that its out. When this story first broke, I refraned from saying anything because there was no paper, but now that its out, there is alot more substance to discuss

 

[livefromDC]

Unfortunate, as I was looking forward to your analysis on this. Always lame when actual discourse gets derailed by childish outbursts.

I'm under no delusion that there's more than one adult here that wants to see these girls work "taken down" for whatever miserable excuse they can conjure.

I guess this desire to put these girls in their place is just so high you're also willing to overlook that he originally got the premise of their paper entirely wrong. Then when he got called out for that he started this middle school level, rudimentary explanation of geometry AS IF Trigonometry is not a subset of geometry and therefore well in line with the purpose of their proof.

But let's overlook all of that or the fact that the childish outburst here was him comparing their work to nonsense in an attempt to discredit it. He's been trying to downplay their achievement since the first page of the thread. And oh look, you're right there with him on page 2.  So even after their paper was peer reviewed and published in American Mathematical Monthly, which has been printed since 1894, a respected math journal, he was still trying to discredit it. He's the real victim here. Poor guy just wanted to pick on a paper written by a couple girls for trying to do math good.

I'm not sorry for pointing out utter bias and crap when I see it. I doubt some guy on SR that's just mad that these girls are getting attention for writing a paper proving the Pythagorean Theorem using Trigonometry is going to find something that peer review and a Mathematical Journal fiunded when Grover Cleveland was President didnt find. Especially when his preliminary breakdown is basically, "so they're using geometry..."

If he genuinely was trying to explain the paper in terms most could understand it would be one thing. If he was truly embracing their achievement and trying to understand it, it would be one thing. His tone and his words since page one have been dismissive. He hasn't hidden his skepticism and contempt from page one. I don't care if his feelings got hurt after being called out for attacking these girls' work. He should be ashamed.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

Math Fight!!

 

[Sailorsaint]

Math Fight!!

A rhomble….

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

A rhomble….

You won the internet for the day