The Ultimate Math Proof Hack

Disputing a math proof is easy. The second they open with something like "Let V be a vector space over a field F," you can just say no. UTTERLY devastating. It's a math hack they don't want people to know about Littlewood’s Miscellany mentioned a relative of this technique: “Schoolmaster: Suppose x is the number of sheep in this problem. Pupil: But, Sir, suppose x is not the number of sheep. (I asked Prof. Wittgenstein was this not a profound philosophical joke, and he said it was.)”

A Twitter exchange jokes about rejecting a mathematical proof by simply refusing its opening assumption. The reply connects this tactic to a classic schoolmaster-and-pupil joke, with a philosophical reference to Wittgenstein. EN: A Twitter exchange jokes about rejecting a mathematical proof by simply refusing its opening assumption. The reply connects this tactic to a classic schoolmaster-and-pupil joke, with a philosophical reference to Wittgenstein.

• @ithueti / 4335 2021-07-06