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







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  • 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















up vote
1
down vote

favorite
1












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







share|cite|improve this question




















  • 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













up vote
1
down vote

favorite
1









up vote
1
down vote

favorite
1






1





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







share|cite|improve this question















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






share|cite|improve this question















share|cite|improve this question













share|cite|improve this question




share|cite|improve this question








edited Nov 21 at 21:13









Jam

4,84411431




4,84411431










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














  • 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










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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.






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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.






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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.






      share|cite|improve this answer























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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.






        share|cite|improve this answer












        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.







        share|cite|improve this answer












        share|cite|improve this answer



        share|cite|improve this answer










        answered Oct 3 '16 at 20:20









        Ed Pegg

        9,72932591




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