Hitchhikers rejoice!
I think a lot of people are missing the Doug Adam’s reference. Was the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy not the reading staple of young HN participants?
42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
131–140 of 256 posts
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#132In Python >>> (-80538738812075974)**3 + 80435758145817515**3 + 12602123297335631**3 42
In bash $ echo "print((-80538738812075974)^3 + 80435758145817515^3 + 12602123297335631^3)" | sed "s/\^/**/g" | python - 42
Without shelling out:
$ echo $(((-80538738812075974)**3 + 80435758145817515**3 + 12602123297335631**3))
42Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#133Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#134If I copy and paste this formula to Google, I get a different result
Google seems to be suffering from a loss in precision: https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=(%2D80538738812075974)...
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#135Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Yeah but now, what? "now, what?", what? > What was learned from this? That 42 is the sum of three cubes. > Why did we look for a solution in the first place? They did. I do not believe that you were involved. > How is it important that a number can be a sum of three cubes? People like things for their own sake. How is it important to have sex or drink a beer? Same thing. Also math has this uncanny tendency to turn…
Why are you so bitter? I asked this genuinely. I doubt PhD+ people do that type of research "just for fun", or do that like someone like me drinks a beer. Someone answered elaborately, and I'm glad they did. Thanks anyway.
> Why are you so bitter?
I don't know, it's just how I am.
> I doubt PhD+ people do that type of research "just for fun"
Well you'd be surprised. All the professional mathematicians I know do math for its own sake. Some amateurs also do it "just for fun", as you say.
> Someone answered elaborately, and I'm glad they did. Thanks anyway.
A bigger person than me, especially considering the tone of your question.
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#136In Python >>> (-80538738812075974)**3 + 80435758145817515**3 + 12602123297335631**3 42
In bash $ echo "print((-80538738812075974)^3 + 80435758145817515^3 + 12602123297335631^3)" | sed "s/\^/**/g" | python - 42
You're just using python, using bc is more bashy:
$ echo '(-80538738812075974)^3 + 80435758145817515^3 + 12602123297335631^3' | bc
42Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#137Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks, this is helpful. Why do we care if every integer not equal to 4 or 5 modulo 9 is the sum of three cubes? Just for fun?
Well, yeah, pretty much. In number theory you study properties/patterns of the numbers. This is an example of such a property. These properties often seem like they don’t have any applications, and often they don’t, but not always. For example, cryptography is basically all based on number theory.
I watched a great series once on generating ~prime numbers which explained how to use number theory to check a randomly generated number for a probability of being prime. By using a bunch of weird rules, you can be ~99% sure it's prime without having to do huge computations.
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#138Clicked hoping for Douglas Adams, got Numberwang
Exactly! In case everyone has forgotten 42 is the "Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything" [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_(number)#The_Hitchhiker's_G...
This is one of those things that has been mentioned, used and worn out so much that you feel much cooler when you don't acknowledge it.
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#139Why doesn't this evaluate in Excel? =(-80538738812075974)^3 + 80435758145817515^3 + 12602123297335631^3 Returns 1.09785E+36
No need to downvote this comment. It is a legitimate numerical computation question and one that has interesting answers as evidenced by this sub-thread. Not everyone knows about how computers do floating point arithmetic, handles large ints, or otherwise.
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#140Earlier quoted context omitted.
33 and 42 are well known as some of the most important numbers in all of mathematics, transcending multiple fields. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/33_(number) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_(number)
numerology is not mathematics.
While I do agree with you, I wouldn't be so quick to cast out numerology as a thing of importance. Hippies are pretty decent at sniffing things out, even if they explain them in totally insane ways.
EDIT: If you're opposed to this comment, I request that you explain your reasoning. Making the assumption that happiness is of any value, there's actually quite a bit to dig into here.