Which conjecture has remained unsolved the longest?
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This is not so much a question as a mathematical discussion.
Which conjecture/postulate/hypothesis in mathematics has remained unsolved for the longest?
Fermat's Last Theorem springs to mind but that was solved in the 90's by Andrew Wiles.
soft-question math-history open-problem
edited Nov 21 at 21:13
Jam
4,84411431
asked Sep 30 '16 at 21:13
BenLaurense
35719
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
This is not so much a question as a mathematical discussion.
Which conjecture/postulate/hypothesis in mathematics has remained unsolved for the longest?
Fermat's Last Theorem springs to mind but that was solved in the 90's by Andrew Wiles.
soft-question math-history open-problem
edited Nov 21 at 21:13
Jam
4,84411431
asked Sep 30 '16 at 21:13
BenLaurense
35719
1
Probably twin primes or odd perfect numbers. Related: mathoverflow.net/questions/27075/…
– Alexis Olson
Sep 30 '16 at 21:15
2
Not sure if it really is a conjecture, but it has supposedly been felt for a long time that the parallel axiom is ugly and should be a consequence of the rest. That might be a conjecture that had existed for millenia before it was settled.
– Hagen von Eitzen
Sep 30 '16 at 21:18
Which integers can occur as the area of right triangles with rational sides?
– lulu
Sep 30 '16 at 21:23
1
I would mention the squaring the circle problem, which was considered by ancient Greeks. It remained open for at least 2,500 years before being completely solved in 1882 by Ferdinand von Lindemann, who famously proved the transcendency of $pi$.
– heptagon
Sep 30 '16 at 21:25
But the question seems to ask about an open conjecture.
– Peter
Sep 30 '16 at 21:50
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
This is not so much a question as a mathematical discussion.
Which conjecture/postulate/hypothesis in mathematics has remained unsolved for the longest?
Fermat's Last Theorem springs to mind but that was solved in the 90's by Andrew Wiles.
soft-question math-history open-problem
edited Nov 21 at 21:13
Jam
4,84411431
asked Sep 30 '16 at 21:13
BenLaurense
35719
This is not so much a question as a mathematical discussion.
Which conjecture/postulate/hypothesis in mathematics has remained unsolved for the longest?
Fermat's Last Theorem springs to mind but that was solved in the 90's by Andrew Wiles.
soft-question math-history open-problem
soft-question math-history open-problem
edited Nov 21 at 21:13
Jam
4,84411431
asked Sep 30 '16 at 21:13
BenLaurense
35719
edited Nov 21 at 21:13
Jam
4,84411431
asked Sep 30 '16 at 21:13
BenLaurense
35719
edited Nov 21 at 21:13
Jam
4,84411431
edited Nov 21 at 21:13
Jam
4,84411431
edited Nov 21 at 21:13
Jam
4,84411431
4,84411431
asked Sep 30 '16 at 21:13
BenLaurense
35719
asked Sep 30 '16 at 21:13
BenLaurense
35719
asked Sep 30 '16 at 21:13
BenLaurense
35719
35719
1
Probably twin primes or odd perfect numbers. Related: mathoverflow.net/questions/27075/…
– Alexis Olson
Sep 30 '16 at 21:15
2
Not sure if it really is a conjecture, but it has supposedly been felt for a long time that the parallel axiom is ugly and should be a consequence of the rest. That might be a conjecture that had existed for millenia before it was settled.
– Hagen von Eitzen
Sep 30 '16 at 21:18
Which integers can occur as the area of right triangles with rational sides?
– lulu
Sep 30 '16 at 21:23
1
I would mention the squaring the circle problem, which was considered by ancient Greeks. It remained open for at least 2,500 years before being completely solved in 1882 by Ferdinand von Lindemann, who famously proved the transcendency of $pi$.
– heptagon
Sep 30 '16 at 21:25
But the question seems to ask about an open conjecture.
– Peter
Sep 30 '16 at 21:50
add a comment |
1
Probably twin primes or odd perfect numbers. Related: mathoverflow.net/questions/27075/…
– Alexis Olson
Sep 30 '16 at 21:15
2
Not sure if it really is a conjecture, but it has supposedly been felt for a long time that the parallel axiom is ugly and should be a consequence of the rest. That might be a conjecture that had existed for millenia before it was settled.
– Hagen von Eitzen
Sep 30 '16 at 21:18
Which integers can occur as the area of right triangles with rational sides?
– lulu
Sep 30 '16 at 21:23
1
I would mention the squaring the circle problem, which was considered by ancient Greeks. It remained open for at least 2,500 years before being completely solved in 1882 by Ferdinand von Lindemann, who famously proved the transcendency of $pi$.
– heptagon
Sep 30 '16 at 21:25
But the question seems to ask about an open conjecture.
– Peter
Sep 30 '16 at 21:50
1
1
Probably twin primes or odd perfect numbers. Related: mathoverflow.net/questions/27075/…
– Alexis Olson
Sep 30 '16 at 21:15
Probably twin primes or odd perfect numbers. Related: mathoverflow.net/questions/27075/…
– Alexis Olson
Sep 30 '16 at 21:15
2
2
Not sure if it really is a conjecture, but it has supposedly been felt for a long time that the parallel axiom is ugly and should be a consequence of the rest. That might be a conjecture that had existed for millenia before it was settled.
– Hagen von Eitzen
Sep 30 '16 at 21:18
Not sure if it really is a conjecture, but it has supposedly been felt for a long time that the parallel axiom is ugly and should be a consequence of the rest. That might be a conjecture that had existed for millenia before it was settled.
– Hagen von Eitzen
Sep 30 '16 at 21:18
Which integers can occur as the area of right triangles with rational sides?
– lulu
Sep 30 '16 at 21:23
Which integers can occur as the area of right triangles with rational sides?
– lulu
Sep 30 '16 at 21:23
1
1
I would mention the squaring the circle problem, which was considered by ancient Greeks. It remained open for at least 2,500 years before being completely solved in 1882 by Ferdinand von Lindemann, who famously proved the transcendency of $pi$.
– heptagon
Sep 30 '16 at 21:25
I would mention the squaring the circle problem, which was considered by ancient Greeks. It remained open for at least 2,500 years before being completely solved in 1882 by Ferdinand von Lindemann, who famously proved the transcendency of $pi$.
– heptagon
Sep 30 '16 at 21:25
But the question seems to ask about an open conjecture.
– Peter
Sep 30 '16 at 21:50
But the question seems to ask about an open conjecture.
– Peter
Sep 30 '16 at 21:50
add a comment |
1 Answer
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The best method for tetrahedra packing dates back at least 2500 years. The packing density of .856347, discovered in 2010, hasn't been proven the best possible.
answered Oct 3 '16 at 20:20
Ed Pegg
9,72932591
add a comment |
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up vote
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The best method for tetrahedra packing dates back at least 2500 years. The packing density of .856347, discovered in 2010, hasn't been proven the best possible.
answered Oct 3 '16 at 20:20
Ed Pegg
9,72932591
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
The best method for tetrahedra packing dates back at least 2500 years. The packing density of .856347, discovered in 2010, hasn't been proven the best possible.
answered Oct 3 '16 at 20:20
Ed Pegg
9,72932591
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
The best method for tetrahedra packing dates back at least 2500 years. The packing density of .856347, discovered in 2010, hasn't been proven the best possible.
answered Oct 3 '16 at 20:20
Ed Pegg
9,72932591
The best method for tetrahedra packing dates back at least 2500 years. The packing density of .856347, discovered in 2010, hasn't been proven the best possible.
answered Oct 3 '16 at 20:20
Ed Pegg
9,72932591
answered Oct 3 '16 at 20:20
Ed Pegg
9,72932591
answered Oct 3 '16 at 20:20
Ed Pegg
9,72932591
answered Oct 3 '16 at 20:20
Ed Pegg
9,72932591
9,72932591
add a comment |
add a comment |
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Probably twin primes or odd perfect numbers. Related: mathoverflow.net/questions/27075/…
– Alexis Olson
Sep 30 '16 at 21:15
2
Not sure if it really is a conjecture, but it has supposedly been felt for a long time that the parallel axiom is ugly and should be a consequence of the rest. That might be a conjecture that had existed for millenia before it was settled.
– Hagen von Eitzen
Sep 30 '16 at 21:18
Which integers can occur as the area of right triangles with rational sides?
– lulu
Sep 30 '16 at 21:23
1
I would mention the squaring the circle problem, which was considered by ancient Greeks. It remained open for at least 2,500 years before being completely solved in 1882 by Ferdinand von Lindemann, who famously proved the transcendency of $pi$.
– heptagon
Sep 30 '16 at 21:25
But the question seems to ask about an open conjecture.
– Peter
Sep 30 '16 at 21:50