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In a message dated 3/12/01 1:43:12 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
> However, it does appear either that Pat will have to learn the math
> involved or that the professors (or their spokespersons) will have to
> learn to express the logic of that math in simple language (back to
> them 26 letters and what they can do, etc), as in the complex ideas of
> Plato expressed in the simple language of Socrates. The alternative
> is....well, more postal slam dancing comes to mind..
>
Ken,
You know, square numbers and triangular numbers were discovered when the
Pythagoreans sat around playing with pebbles that they arranged into square
and triangular configurations. I suppose there are areas in mathematics
where one has to get away from that kind of primitivism, but I doubt that 4CC
is one of them. I learned something from having to explain complex ideas to
students with a limited educational background and a limited ability to deal
with abstraction--if you can't explain something to somebody else in simple
language, then there's room to ask how well you really understand what you're
saying yourself. I think all of us also know what a snow job is. When a
person makes a big to-do about how I wouldn't understand the answers to the
questions I'm asking, or how I shouldn't be asking the questions, etc etc, I
begin to wonder what the evasion is about, and what it is I'm not supposed to
find out.
Anyway, Ken, why are you assuming I wouldn't know anything about the Four
Color Theorem? I've written three books on color, and for the last one I
wanted to say something a little more intelligent about 4CC than just
repeating all that blah blah about "nobody understands how to solve it." I
thought I'd at least like to find out what was supposed to make it so
unsolvable. So I read Saaty's book, took a lot of notes, and ended up with
more material than there really was room for in my book. Also, I wanted to
find our more about the computer program, and Steve is the first person I've
come across who's actually familiar with it. I should maybe be starting by
asking him the simpler questions--like what computer language is it written
in, how can I see a copy, and who actually wrote it.
pat
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<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial Narrow" LANG="0"><B>In a message dated 3/12/01 1:43:12 PM Eastern Standard Time,
<BR>[log in to unmask] writes:
<BR>
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></B>
<BR><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">However, it does appear either that Pat will have to learn the math
<BR>involved or that the professors (or their spokespersons) will have to
<BR>learn to express the logic of that math in simple language (back to
<BR>them 26 letters and what they can do, etc), as in the complex ideas of
<BR>Plato expressed in the simple language of Socrates. The alternative
<BR>is....well, more postal slam dancing comes to mind..
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BR></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial Narrow" LANG="0"><B>Ken,
<BR>
<BR>You know, square numbers and triangular numbers were discovered when the
<BR>Pythagoreans sat around playing with pebbles that they arranged into square
<BR>and triangular configurations. I suppose there are areas in mathematics
<BR>where one has to get away from that kind of primitivism, but I doubt that 4CC
<BR>is one of them. I learned something from having to explain complex ideas to
<BR>students with a limited educational background and a limited ability to deal
<BR>with abstraction--if you can't explain something to somebody else in simple
<BR>language, then there's room to ask how well you really understand what you're
<BR>saying yourself. I think all of us also know what a snow job is. When a
<BR>person makes a big to-do about how I wouldn't understand the answers to the
<BR>questions I'm asking, or how I shouldn't be asking the questions, etc etc, I
<BR>begin to wonder what the evasion is about, and what it is I'm not supposed to
<BR>find out.
<BR>
<BR>Anyway, Ken, why are you assuming I wouldn't know anything about the Four
<BR>Color Theorem? I've written three books on color, and for the last one I
<BR>wanted to say something a little more intelligent about 4CC than just
<BR>repeating all that blah blah about "nobody understands how to solve it." I
<BR>thought I'd at least like to find out what was supposed to make it so
<BR>unsolvable. So I read Saaty's book, took a lot of notes, and ended up with
<BR>more material than there really was room for in my book. Also, I wanted to
<BR>find our more about the computer program, and Steve is the first person I've
<BR>come across who's actually familiar with it. I should maybe be starting by
<BR>asking him the simpler questions--like what computer language is it written
<BR>in, how can I see a copy, and who actually wrote it.
<BR>
<BR>pat</B></FONT></HTML>
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