The 23 Toughest Math Questions

Posted by kdawson on Tuesday September 30, 2008 @12:08AM from the innumerate-need-not-apply dept.

coondoggie sends in a Network World post that begins "It sounds like a math phobic's worst nightmare or perhaps Good Will Hunting for the ages. Those wacky folks at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have put out a research request it calls Mathematical Challenges, that has the mighty goal of 'dramatically revolutionizing mathematics and thereby strengthening DoD's scientific and technological capabilities.' The challenges are in fact 23 questions that, if answered, would offer a high potential for major mathematical breakthroughs, DARPA said." Some of the questions overlap with the Millennium Prize Problems of the Clay Mathematics Institute, which each carry a $1M prize.

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Tough math by Wowsers · 2008-09-30 00:13 · Score: -1, Troll

For politicians, the toughest math question is 1 + 1.

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Take Nobody's Word For It.
The correct answer is zero. by Anonymous Coward · 2008-09-30 00:28 · Score: -1, Troll

Iraq has 1 billion barrels of oil. American wants 1 billion barrels of oil. How many barrels of oil does Iraq have?
Re:Benefits the NSA by HBI · 2008-09-30 00:33 · Score: 0, Troll

The DoD isn't the NSA.
Not even close.

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HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
Defeat U.S. Imperialism! by Anonymous Coward · 2008-09-30 01:00 · Score: -1, Troll

Fuck the War Department! Drive U.S. Imperialists Out of Iraq, Afghanistan!
Re:Since you mentioned Good Will Hunting by VShael · 2008-09-30 02:36 · Score: 0, Troll

So you're saying... George Bush is a sexually abused maths genius?