inc@fluke.UUCP (Gary Benson) (09/10/85)
*** INTENTIONAL EXO-ASTERISKS ***
A few weeks back, someone posted a problem about the number 1729.
One of the characters in the story avers that the number is interesting
because it's the smallest number that can be written as the sum of two cubes
in two different ways.
Please, can you tell me what it means to write a sum in different ways? I
read net.math with only an inkling of understanding, so forgive my abysmal
ignorance.
Also, the person asked if a number exists that can be written as the sum of
two cubes in three different ways, and I was wondering how that would be
found? Can a formula (or computer program) be written that will find it
based only on the scant information given?
One last thing, while I'm on the topic of numbers: someone told me once that
the number 42 has some special mathematical significance, but I forget what
it is. It is the answer a computer named "Deep Thought" gave to the
question, "What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything?" in the
novel _Hitchhikers_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_. Does anyone know why the author
chose this number? Or what it's mathematical significance might be?
Thanks --
--
Gary Benson * John Fluke Mfg. Co. * PO Box C9090 * Everett WA * 98206
MS/232-E = = {allegra} {uw-beaver} !fluke!inc = = (206)356-5367
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-ascii is our god and unix is his profit-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ wcs@ho95e.UUCP (Bill.Stewart.4K435.x0705) (09/12/85)
> One last thing, while I'm on the topic of numbers: someone told me once that > the number 42 has some special mathematical significance, but I forget what > it is. It is the answer a computer named "Deep Thought" gave to the > question, "What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything?" in the > novel _Hitchhikers_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_. Does anyone know why the author > chose this number? Or what it's mathematical significance might be? > Gary Benson * John Fluke Mfg. Co. * PO Box C9090 * Everett WA * 98206 Later on, the question (to which 42 is the answer) reveals itself to Arthur Dent: What is six times nine? -- ## Bill Stewart, AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ 1-201-949-0705 ihnp4!ho95c!wcs
chas@gtss.UUCP (Charles Cleveland) (09/12/85)
In article <693@tpvax.fluke.UUCP> inc@fluke.UUCP (Gary Benson) writes: >One last thing, while I'm on the topic of numbers: someone told me once that >the number 42 has some special mathematical significance, but I forget what >it is. It is the answer a computer named "Deep Thought" gave to the >question, "What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything?" in the >novel _Hitchhikers_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_. Does anyone know why the author >chose this number? Or what it's mathematical significance might be? Am I correct in supposing that Gary has just asked what the question is to which 42 is the answer? (:-) Readers of Hitchhiker's Guide may be amused. Anyway, at least one of these questions might find answerers faster in net.sf-lovers. -- Charles Cleveland Georgia Tech Surface Studies Georgia Tech School of Physics Atlanta, GA 30332 ...!{akgua,allegra,amd,hplabs,ihnp4,masscomp,ut-ngp}!gatech!gtss!chas ...!{rlgvax,sb1,uf-cgrl,unmvax,ut-sally}!gatech!gtss!chas chas%gtss@gatech.CSNET gtss!chas%gatech.CSNET@csnet-relay.ARPA
gwyn@brl-tgr.ARPA (Doug Gwyn <gwyn>) (09/13/85)
> One last thing, while I'm on the topic of numbers: someone told me once that > the number 42 has some special mathematical significance, but I forget what > it is. It is the answer a computer named "Deep Thought" gave to the > question, "What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything?" in the > novel _Hitchhikers_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_. Does anyone know why the author > chose this number? Or what it's mathematical significance might be? I can't tell you that, because then the universe would vanish.
meister@linus.UUCP (Phillip W. Servita) (09/13/85)
>> One last thing, while I'm on the topic of numbers: someone told me once that >> the number 42 has some special mathematical significance, but I forget what >> it is. It is the answer a computer named "Deep Thought" gave to the >> question, "What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything?" in the >> novel _Hitchhikers_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_. Does anyone know why the author >> chose this number? Or what it's mathematical significance might be? >> Gary Benson >Later on, the question (to which 42 is the answer) reveals itself to >Arthur Dent: > What is six times nine? >-- >## Bill Stewart 6 * 9 = 42 in base 13. (i guess this is why the world is so screwed up.) -the venn buddhist