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42 *IS* The answer to Life, the Universe and Zeta
Venusian Treen writes "In their search for patterns, mathematicians have uncovered unlikely connections between prime numbers and quantum physics. The gist is that energy levels in the nucleus of heavy atoms can tell us about the distribution of zeros in Riemann's zeta function - and hence where to find prime numbers. This article discusses this connection, and introduces two physisicts who tell us 'why the answer to life, the universe and the third moment of the Riemann zeta function should be 42.'"
Are there any mathematicians who can explain how a non-prime is the third riemann moment in the string of riemann zeros?
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
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It's possible to conclude virtually *anything* with numbers such as we know them. It's a matter of finding a formula / sequence - call it what you want.
But here's the kicker:
Thinking beyond know numbers takes a mind that are capable of thinking beyond our existing collective knowledge. We tend to agree and pat each other on the back on every single connected discovery we make.
Imagine that we go beyond what we know - and if you have NO clue what I'm rambling about - picture this: You put two and two together as a child would do, you have two different objects and you combine them...to make a third object. This is logic at it's most basic. Now that we're on level - imagine that you take this a bit further and go beyond what you already know, can you do this?
What this world is coming to - is for you and me to decide.
The connection with the computer industry is that Alan Turing had a grant from the Royal Society to build an analog system (using gears no less) to investigate the zeroes of the Riemann Zeta Function.
Pining for the fjords
"Music of the primes" is a great book for the non- or semi-mathematician that deals extensively with the Riemann function. In this book the author touched on the weird significance of "42" to the function but I'm afraid I can't explain it but sort of understood while I read it. Great book though - check it out . . . http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0066210704/102-69 90660-1984935?v=glance&n=283155
The history of Maths is way more interesting that you think . . .
spoonerize "magic trackpad"
I'd guess that the problem is that there are, what, like 3 slashdotters qualified to comment informatively on mathematics at this level? Add to that that it is pretty obvious when you don't know what the heck the mathematics are about.
On the other side, every slashdotter thinks they have something funny to say.
"Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
And from that, it becomes obvious that the Hyperintelligent Pandimensional Beings (aka white mice) have 13 fingers in their natural form.
6x9 = 54 (base 10) = 42 (base 13).
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
I read a science article a while back discussing quantum computing. Apparently, you need to isolate the qubits from the surrounding environment to keep from collapsing the wave function until you are ready to read the result. One of the techniques for creating this isolation is to surround the qubit in a strong brownian motion fluid. Supposedly, since the average effect is zero, it doesn't affect the result, but it maintains a shield from the interference of "observers".
Well... I hate to burst your bubble, but 13.37 times pi is actually 42.0030937784954923... ad infinitum.
The number you want is probably closer to 13.369015219719221985830700904996......
"Anything is better than IE, and you can quote me on that." -- Wil Wheaton.
The significance of the plain naked number, an integer, 137, has puzzled physicists for decades.
Google's list.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]