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Re: Inventing fundamental concept

Subject: Re: Inventing fundamental concept
From: "W. Dale Hall"
Date: Thu, 06 Apr 2006 19:47:33 GMT
Newsgroups: sci.math


fishfry wrote:
In article <1144302342.684015.169250@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
 "fraternitydisposal@xxxxxxxxx" <fraternitydisposal@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Is there any methodology for inventing fundamenta ideas in mathematics?
I always fascinated of making a parallel field in mathematics.Is it
possoble. Folks ..what do u think?



Start with a difficult, unsolved problem. Solve it; and in so doing, pioneer new techniques and ideas. That's a very common pattern in math history.

Oddly reminded of the Monty Python skit

        How to rid the world of all known diseases

        (from http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches)

Which I will now bore the newsgroup with:

The cast:

      ALAN
          John Cleese
      NOEL
          Graham Chapman
      JACKIE
          Eric Idle

The sketch:

        (Cut to a sign saying 'How to do it'. Music. Pull out
         to reveal a 'Blue Peter' type set. Sitting casually
         on the edge of a dais are three presenters in sweaters
         - Noel, Jackie and Alan - plus a large bloodhound.)

      Alan: Hello.

      Noel: Hello.

      Alan: Well, last week we showed you how to become
        a gynaecologist. And this week on 'How to do it'
        we're going to show you how to play the flute,
        how to split an atom, how to construct a box girder
        bridge, how to irrigate the Sahara Desert and make
        vast new areas of land cultivatable, but first,
        here's Jackie to tell you all how to rid the world
        of all known diseases.

      Jackie: Hello, Alan.

      Alan: Hello, Jackie.

      Jackie: Well, first of all become a doctor and
        discover a marvellous cure for something, and
        then, when the medical profession really starts
        to take notice of you, you can jolly well tell
        them what to do and make sure they get everything
        right so there'll never be any diseases ever again.

      Alan: Thanks, Jackie. Great idea. How to play the
        flute. (picking up a flute) Well here we are. You
        blow there and you move your fingers up and down
        here.

      Noel: Great, great, Alan. Well, next week we'll be
        showing you how black and white people can live
        together in peace and harmony, and Alan will be
        over in Moscow showing us how to reconcile the
        Russians and the Chinese. So, until next week,
        cheerio.

      Alan: Bye.

      Jackie: Bye.

      (Children's music.)

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