Math Is Fun Forum

Jai Ganesh

Administrator

Registered: 2005-06-28

Posts: 48,476

The mutilated Chessboard

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutilated_chessboard

Doesn't that show how rigid we mathematicans are with proofs?

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It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.

Patrick

Real Member

Registered: 2006-02-24

Posts: 1,005

Re: The mutilated Chessboard

I'm not sure why you think we're(mathematicians) are rigid based on that link, but it's an interresting way to solve the problem. I knew it beforehand though

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Ricky

Moderator

Registered: 2005-12-04

Posts: 3,791

Re: The mutilated Chessboard

I agree with ganesh.  A typical person would try a bunch of ways, and after a while, give up concluding that there is no way to do it.

Come to think of it, my geometry teacher gave us this problem the first day of class when I was a freshman in highschool.  Pretty cool problem.

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"In the real world, this would be a problem.  But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist.  So we'll go ahead and do that now..."

Patrick

Real Member

Registered: 2006-02-24

Posts: 1,005

Re: The mutilated Chessboard

How does this make mathematicians rigid though?

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Jai Ganesh

Administrator

Registered: 2005-06-28

Posts: 48,476

Re: The mutilated Chessboard

Acceptance of proofs. Mathematicians no way accept a proof unless it passes the test 100%. Not 99.99%, only 100%.

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It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.

Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.