Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site hou3c.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!ulysses!burl!hou3c!ka From: ka@hou3c.UUCP (Kenneth Almquist) Newsgroups: net.ai Subject: Re: Fermat's Last Theorem & Undecidable Propositions Message-ID: <278@hou3c.UUCP> Date: Wed, 15-Feb-84 10:08:45 EST Article-I.D.: hou3c.278 Posted: Wed Feb 15 10:08:45 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 16-Feb-84 02:43:44 EST References: <5683@mcvax.UUCP> Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ Lines: 8 Paul writes, "Suppose Fermat's Last Theorem were undecidable. Then...". That should really be "Suppose it has been proved that Fermat's last theorem is undecidable," because you have to assume that the theorem is *known* to be undecidable before you can base further arguments on its undecidability. In other words, isn't it posssible that no counter- examples to Fermat's last theorem exists, but that it is impossible to prove that none exist using the current axioms of number theory? Kenneth Almquist