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General Solution for Polynomial Equations?
An anonymous reader writes "On september 9, several media reported that a young Dutch student found a formula to determine the roots of any polynomial equation. Does this conflict with Abel's proof that such a formula cannot exist? Here is the news item (in Dutch) on his school's homepage." Another reader writes "A Dutch student at the Fontys school of physics has solved a math problem of several centuries old: finding the roots of any polynomial equation. Arxciv copy here. Although an exact solution has been proven impossible for higher orders, this is not the case for numeric solutions."
Is there a math-to-English translator for those of the Slashdot community that can't understand the PDF? Theoretically, I should be able to read it -- I have a degree in mathematics -- but we aren't all so lucky.
www.timcoleman.com is a total waste of your time. Never go there.
Let me be the first to say that I welcome our new polynomial equation solving overlord. Let death come quickly to his enemies.
So any polynomial time problems can now be solved in logarithmic time or something! Run for the hills! /sarcasm
Last quarter's PreCalc class said this was impossible? Now it's possible?
Dang it, that means I'll have to buy a new math book for this quarter's Calc class, won't I?
Ah, the world, she is a changin'...
TI-89 + solver/roots function = roots of polynomial
Why did I keep expecting the words "bork bork bork" to come while reaing that?
Without RTFA I can categorically state that it's all Dutch to me...
I have discovered a truly remarkable formula to solve any polynomial, but my site has too little bandwidth for me to post it here.
From now on I will replace the phrase "It's Greek to me," as in, "I can't understand any of that," with the phrase "It's Dutch to me."
I will do this whenever possible in honor of this Dutch student's obviously impressive, but absolutely inscrutable (to me) breakthrough.
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
I should be able to read it -- I have a degree in mathematics
I'm guessing your degree was for English Mathematics. This paper is clearly in Dutch Mathematics (so, just head over to Babelfish).
I'd say it's about 50/50
LISTER: Yeah, the Skutters managed to smuggles something out of the medi-lab for us, y'know that stuff that helps impotent guys put the zest back in their love lives?
KRYTEN: 'Boing!', the virility enhancement drug!?
LISTER: That's the stuff, and we've Mickey Finn'd their drinks.
RIMMER: Within seconds, you're harder than a quadratic equation, and, it doesn't wear off for seven hours.
KRYTEN: For seven hours those guys are going to be like catapults!
Red Dwarf, Series 8, Episode 6
Due to lack of disk space this user has been discontinued
The rule of equations (at least in school) is:
The more complicated the equations for the math problem looks, the more likely the answer is 1.
While I was in HS and College, this would have made so much sense to me. Looking at all the work behind it just makes my head hurt now. I think I replaced my math knowledge with coding ability.
Technology's a battle between companies producing more idiot-proof systems and nature producing bigger and better idiots
(1) Let Sa be the set of all possible roots of polynomial equations.
(2) From [1], we have determined that the correct roots, a1...an, exist in Sa.
(3) Let the set Sb be the set that contains only a1...an.
(4) The intersection of sets Sa and Sb will thus be the roots of the polynomial equation.
Therfore, we derive the formula:
Sa ^ Sb = roots
If moderation could change anything, it would be illegal.
it is basically like this:
student gets ahead of teacher's lessons plan...news at 11.
I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
The present:
:/
european academic finds solution to very hard problem.
2 years later:
a) americans find way of turning said solution into entertainment technology and make billions of dollars.b) European academic still unemployed and eating pasta all week.
We need more GREED in europe..
Will code a sig generator for food
Heh, just about everything can be found in the works of Euler. It's like they say, "In Mathematics, it is customary to name things after the first person after Euler to discover them."
My only political goal is to see to it that no political party achieves its goals.
I mean, come on. A Dutch student?
postmodernsideshow.com
Yeah, I proved that 11 years ago. Unfortunately for the rest of humankind, the margin was too small for me to write everything down.
So this is just another numerical method to approximate roots of polynomials? Newton did it 400 years ago. Talk about media beatup.
Actually, here's a really easy exact formula for Pi (written in base Pi, just convert the answer to base 10): 10
--TheOrangeSquid Is it any wonder things seem so awry? We swim in a sea of confusion and don't have to think to survive
I have discovered a truly remarkable proof. which this web server is too small to contain.
-Peter
er...
a ndics...
Dutches...
Dutchians...
Hollandistas...
Holl
Netherlandites...
Netherisks...
Hmmmm...??? In any case, good job, people!
(Mods, parent was mistaken, but not a troll).
My favorite word in the 503 message was geblokkeerd. That's what I'm going to use instead of "slashdotted" from now on -- "Oh no! The site is geblokkeerd!"
four nine eighteen twenty-7 thirty-nine forty-7 fiftyeight sixty-nine seventy-9 eighty-8 one-hundred-and-nine one-twenty
student gets ahead of teacher's lessons plan...news at 11.
;)
In the U.S., that is a big deal.
The only surefire protection against Microsoft infections is abstinence. - The Onion
At least it isn't in Polish Mathematics. Not only would it be difficult to decipher, you'd also have to read it backwards.
Dang, I just started reading this, and you allready beat me to it! ;-)
However, I am still typing up my GUT (I prove that there are only 17 dimensions, string theory is wrong, the Multiverse doesn't REALLY exist, and that the cat is alive or dead BEFORE you open the box), and should have it available for subscribers shortly.
LongTail SSH Brute Force analysis tool is here!
You can adjust the width of the margins using the HTML command.
<BODY TOPMARGIN=(integer) LEFTMARGIN=(integer) MARGINHEIGHT=(integer) MARGINWIDTH=(integer)>
That way, you'll never run out of space.
Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
A numberic solution is a solution that is "close enough", but not exact. Sort of like saying 2.0000000000000001 = 2. They aren't equal, but for many purposes, they are equivalent.
Absolutely - just ask Intel.
Albert? Is that you?
Does that mean you can read Reverse Polish math forewards?
How to solve a polynomial
1) put poly in standard form and take the first n-1 derivatives.
2) put the derivatives in terms of x(s) (for 1..n-1), or remember why you dropped calculus and goto step 9.
3) Use the derivatives to write a differential equation with coefficients m1..mn, or remember why you dropped differential equations and goto step 9.
4) Use the original equation to reduce the differential equation to order n, and note the use of "then" instead of "than" in the mit write-up. (sorry, mit).
5) Substitute a formula for x(s), multiply resulting eq by it's denominator, getting another diffEq. Whee! ask a Grad student.
6) Now substitute a power series representation. All 's' should be zero. (mutter: Aha! I knew it) Solve b_sub_i for 1..n-2 (Grad student).
7) Substitute another power series to get an equation. (The grad students are gone, ask your hallmates, one of 'em has to be a math major.)
8) Let b_sub_n-1 equal the determinant of a funky, unexplained matrix (here, have an aspirin).
9) Everyone else in the class is out drinking by now, so don't worry about the next matrix, it's even funkier. Write a note on your hand to memorize it this weekend. Go drinking with peers.
10) Wake up at 3pm tomorrow, and try to remember what the hell all those squiggles meant.
11) Change your minor from math to polisci. Don't worry about taking Calc 1-3, DiffEq, or linear algebra. Note: many girls do not care about the roots of arbitrary polynomials, so no worries there. 8^)
"A witty saying proves nothing." ~Voltaire
"d'Oh!" ~Homer
Hey, thanks for volunteering!!
I stole this Sig
Naturally, Gauss will have claimed to have discovered this first, but felt it was too trivial to publish.
I have discovered a truly remarkable sig which this margin is too small to contain.
12) Profess!!!
Less Drang.
Argh, they need to make a way to skip all "funny" comments in any science article. So much enthusiasm for math and physics--so little truth.
-I am an elective eunuch.
Shitsurei shimashita *cuts off finger*
"A witty saying proves nothing." ~Voltaire
"d'Oh!" ~Homer
Sure, if your stack is big enough.
3.243F6A8885A308D313
All your base are belong to us!
If you don't restrict your base, all your base are belong to us. Take off every Omega function!! For great roots!
I'm so ashamed of myself.
If Fermat had had HTML, he woulda been able to fermat his own margins...
Do I hear crickets?
I have no stack. What? Where was I...
Use Ctrl-C instead of ESC in Vim!