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Religion

struggle4progress

(118,282 posts) Fri Apr 19, 2013, 09:34 AM Apr 2013

Proofs from The Book

3 replies

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Proofs from The Book (Original Post) struggle4progress Apr 2013 OP

I vaguely remember a short story in which the hero sells his soul to the devil in exchange for 3 dimbear Apr 2013 #1

I read some such story in a 1950s era sci-fi mag, but the challenge to the devil struggle4progress Apr 2013 #2

Yes, exactly. My senescent thinkbox betrayed me a bit. It does give us the opportunity to dimbear Apr 2013 #3

dimbear

(6,271 posts)

1. I vaguely remember a short story in which the hero sells his soul to the devil in exchange for 3

Reply to struggle4progress (Original post)

Fri Apr 19, 2013, 05:13 PM

Apr 2013

wishes, as usual, and one of them is solving the Riemann hypothesis. The devil gets so interested in solving it that everything turns out well and our hero escapes. Happy ending.

Plots. They get around.

struggle4progress

(118,282 posts)

2. I read some such story in a 1950s era sci-fi mag, but the challenge to the devil

Reply to dimbear (Reply #1)

Fri Apr 19, 2013, 06:34 PM

Apr 2013

Fermat's Last Theorem

dimbear

(6,271 posts)

3. Yes, exactly. My senescent thinkbox betrayed me a bit. It does give us the opportunity to

Reply to struggle4progress (Reply #2)

Fri Apr 19, 2013, 07:04 PM

Apr 2013

wonder why the gods favor number theory so much. (There's that old saw that God created the integers, all else is the work of man.)

Some topological theorems ought to work as well, what with manifolds and sheaves and all.

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