I must be missing something. Why is this significant?
I suppose it’s in reference to https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phrases_from_The_Hitchhiker'...
42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
11–20 of 256 posts
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#12I must be missing something. Why is this significant?
It was the last (possible) number under 100 to be confirmed as the sum of three squares.
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#13Could someone elaborate on why this is interesting? The linked page doesn't have much context.
The form of the statement sounds like something related to Fermat's last theorem, I guess?
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#14[deleted]
Yes, but 42 was hard.
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#15I must be missing something. Why is this significant?
I believe it’s the lowest number that did not have a known solution for x^3 + y^3 + z^3.
Plus, it’s 42.
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#16document.body.innerHTML = document.body.innerHTML.replace("<!--", "");
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Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#17[deleted]
Yes, the interesting thing is that prior to this it was suspected, but not proven that 42 was the sum of three squares. This was the last number under 100 to find a solution for (for the numbers where a solution is possible)
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#18I must be missing something. Why is this significant?
So long and thanks for all the fish.
Re: 42 is found to be the sum of three cubes
#19Could someone elaborate on why this is interesting? The linked page doesn't have much context.
It is an open question as to whether every integer not equal to 4 or 5 modulo 9 is the sum of three cubes, although it is suspected to be true.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sums_of_three_cubes#Computatio...
33 and 42 were known to be exceptions of all sums less than 100 for which solutions were found, until recently. 42 was the most recent to fall.