Saturday, March 27, 2021

Odd primes

We've probably all seen the "proofs that odd numbers are prime" as done by different professions:
Physicist: 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is an experimental error...

Engineer: 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is prime...

Modern physicist using renormalization: 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is ... 9/3 is prime, 11 is prime, 13 is prime, 15 is ... 15/3 is prime, 17 is prime, 19 is prime, 21 is ... 21/3 is prime...

Quantum Physicist: All numbers are equally prime and non-prime until observed.

Professor: 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, and the rest are left as an exercise for the student.

This site has the largest collection I've seen, together with a picture of a disputed calendar tool or list of primes?


The latter link is part of a Mathematicians of the African Diaspora set of web pages. A quick perusal suggests that they claim way too much--trying to infer non-euclidean geometry theorems from artwork, for example. It brings to mind an interesting question--is Egypt part of Africa? By geography and if you want an impressive history, obviously yes--but if the subject is politics and quotas, no.

1 comment:

Korora said...

[Insert intersectional category here] studies professor: Whatever you feel them to beEEEE! *bridge gives way*