[FOM] Standard Language of Euclid

Andrej Bauer andrej.bauer at andrej.com
Thu Oct 1 17:58:18 EDT 2009


On Thu, Oct 1, 2009 at 6:03 PM,  <joeshipman at aol.com> wrote:
> I agree that my original surmise was wrong; what I should have asked is
> whether there is an interesting open question which can be stated in
> the language of elementary algebra and geometry without any increase in
> its complexity.

The problem I mentioned comes down to analyzing how the solutions a
system of 2 equations of order 7 with 3 unknowns, depend on a number
of parameters appearing in the equations (I'll count the parameters if
you ask me to, but it's such that the problem is neither
underdetermined not overdetermined).

Geometrically speaking, we're trying to see how to interpolate a
parametric cubic polynomial curve through vertices of a convex
quadrilateral. It's probably a judgement call as to whether that's "an
increase in complexity", but it sure sounds "simple" to me.

With kind regards,

Andrej Bauer


More information about the FOM mailing list