Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!crummer@AEROSPACE From: crummer%AEROSPACE@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.ai Subject: Fermat's Last Theorem Message-ID: <16403@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Thu, 2-Feb-84 12:48:48 EST Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.16403 Posted: Thu Feb 2 12:48:48 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 9-Feb-84 02:39:34 EST Lines: 19 From: Charlie CrummerFortunately (or unfortunately) puzzles like Fermat's Last Theorem, Goldbach's conjecture, the 4-color theorem, and others are not in the same class as the geometric trisection of an angle or the squaring of a circle. The former class may be undecidable propositions (a la Goedel) and the latter are merely impossible. Since one of the annoying things about undecidable propositions is that it cannot be decided whether or not they are decidable, (Where are you, Doug Hofstader, now that we need you?) people seriously interested in these candidates for undecidablilty should not dismiss so-called theorem provers like A. Arnold without looking at their work. I have heard that the ugly computer proof(?) of the 4-color theorem that appeared in Scientific American is incorrect, i.e. not a proof. I also have heard that one G. Spencer-Brown has proved the 4-color theorem. I do not know whether either of these things is true and it's bugging me! Is the 4-color theorem undecidable or not? --Charlie