Want a theorem named after you?

[Veho]

Want to joint the ranks of Pythagoras, Tales, Euclid, Riemann, Bertrand, L'Hôpital and some other eggheads that have theorems named after them, but don't want to spend the better part of your life researching and developing a theorem of your very own (or just don't want to have anything to do with math; nasty stuff, that)?

Well now you can. TheoryMine is a company that specializes in automated theorem proving, and their theorem testing/proving process discovers new theorems every day. So what to do with all these new theorems? Sell them. £15 will buy you your very own, perfectly valid, unique, hitherto undiscovered, mathematical theorem, complete with proof (take that, Fermat!).

Its automated theorem-proving software can churn out a theoretically infinite number of theorems for customers wishing to join the ranks of Pythagoras and Fermat. "We generate new theorems and let people name them after themselves, a friend, a loved one, or whoever they want to name it after," explains Flaminia Cavallo, managing director of TheoryMine, based in Edinburgh, UK.

You may think this is an elaborate scam, or that you'll just end up with an obscure equation copied from some long-forgotten textbook, but TheoryMine claims to have far more validity than superficially similar companies selling star names.

"We're inventing totally novel theorems, and the tradition is you have the right to name these theorems," explains Alan Bundy, professor of automated reasoning at the University of Edinburgh and another member of the TheoryMine team.

He's got a point. Automated theorem proving is a well-respected mathematical field, used by manufacturers to guarantee that the algorithms in computer processors will work correctly.

From its library of mathematical knowledge, the program generates a set of mathematical axioms, then combines them in different ways to produce a series of conjectures. It then uses the library to discard a portion of these on the basis that there are already counter-examples, showing they can't be true. Overly complex conjectures are also ignored. Then it applies a technique known as "rippling", in which it tries out various sequences of logical statements until one of these sequences turns out to be a proof of the theorem.

Don't prepare your Fields medal acceptance speech just yet though, as TheoryMine's theorems are unlikely to break drastically new ground. "We can't say that we'll never do that, but having looked at the things that come out, they're not typically things that are going to change the world," says Dixon.

If not revolutionary, your theorem will at least be unique, since the TheoryMine software ignores trivial variants of already proved theorems. And in case you're wondering, Aron's theorem, delivered as a pdf by email yesterday, says something about the order in which you can add a new variety of numbers.

So, um, yeah. No guarantee your theorem will ever find wider use, recognition or glory, but hey, your very own theorem. Yay.

Link.

 

[The Pi]

I'd rather do it with a good old pad of paper, pencils and a rubber (eraser).

 

[naglaro00]

lol im studying geometry right now

 

[The Pi]

lol im studying geometry right now

No, your on the interwebs. DO NOT LIE!!!

 

[Overlord Nadrian]

I actually created (probably not the right word for this but IDC) a couple of theorems myself, but I can never think of an easy way to formulate them.

And it's not like anyone would ever make any use of them either, except me.

 

[mameks]

The shlong theorem

 

[Knyaz Vladimir]

I made a formula on composing dark matter from different substances.

Yeah, nobody ever could test it- it's a physical impossibility. I'd like it to be a theorem.

 

[Shinigami357]

For some reason, all my equations end up with an answer OVER 9,000!!!

 

[Blaze163]

The shlong theorem

Something to do with decibels of screaming being proportional to the number of inches

 

[DryYoshi]

For some reason, all my equations end up with an answer OVER 9,000!!!

My answer is always 42!!!

 

[trumpet-205]

It's kinda of like you take something already solved and labeled it with your name.

 

[Vigilante]

the math it burns

 

[mameks]

The shlong theorem

Something to do with decibels of screaming being proportional to the number of inches

YESH!!!
:3

 

[ProtoKun7]

My theorem details that if you manage to survive the gravitational stresses of being inside a black hole, you can see that it is in fact full of jelly babies.

 

[Veho]

Prove it.

 

[Knyaz Vladimir]

You do it, he needs a guinea pig.

My theorem is that the amount of atoms used for nuclear fusion multiplied by pi to the power of the amount of neutrons is the power multiplied by the distance.

 

[The Pi]

You do it, he needs a guinea pig.

My theorem is that the amount of atoms used for nuclear fusion multiplied by pi to the power of the amount of neutrons is the power multiplied by the distance.

Someone called?

 

[Knyaz Vladimir]

You do it, he needs a guinea pig.

My theorem is that the amount of atoms used for nuclear fusion multiplied by pi to the power of the amount of neutrons is the power multiplied by the distance.

Someone called?

Name each of your numbers. Even the undiscovered ones.

 

[Zetta_x]

Interesting...

 

[_Chaz_]

Just then, the DickButt theorem.