The world’s longest math proof is the classification theorem of finite simple groups, which took nearly 40 years to complete and contains over 10,000 pages.
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The classification theorem of finite simple groups is considered to be the world’s longest math proof, which took nearly 40 years to complete and contains over 10,000 pages. The theorem was first proposed by mathematician William Burnside in the late 19th century, but it was not until decades later that progress began to be made on the proof. The project involved the collaboration of hundreds of mathematicians from around the world and required the development of new mathematical concepts and techniques.
As mathematician Marcus du Sautoy notes, “The classification of finite simple groups is often described as one of the most significant mathematical achievements of the 20th century, indeed of all time. The proof of the classification theorem is an extraordinary example of collective intellectual effort by a generation of mathematicians.”
Some interesting facts about the classification theorem of finite simple groups:
- The proof of the theorem was so long and complex that it required its own specialized notation system, known as the “ATLAS of Finite Groups.”
- The theorem has applications in various areas of mathematics, including algebraic geometry and number theory.
- The project was not without controversy, as disagreements and disputes among mathematicians sometimes arose over various aspects of the proof.
- The completion of the proof is considered to be one of the great triumphs of modern mathematics and a testament to the power of collaborative research.
Here is a table comparing the lengths of the classification theorem to other famous works of literature:
| Work | Approximate Length |
|---|---|
| The Bible (King James Version) | 1,200,000 words |
| War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy | 587,000 words |
| Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace | 483,000 words |
| The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien | 455,000 words |
| The classification theorem of finite simple groups | Over 10,000 pages |
In this video, you may find the answer to “What is the world’s longest math proof?”
The Principia Mathematica was written to derive a complete system of mathematics from pure logic; however, it is impossible to do so without any holes, leading to a few key assumptions that just feel right. Despite attempting to do a much broader and complicated thing, the book resulted in a 360-page proof that one plus one equals two. In a different context, the speaker suggests using a free daily newsletter called Morning Brew, which provides bite-sized, informative summaries of business, finance, and tech news, unlike social media feeds that waste time. The newsletter is free to sign up and only takes 15 seconds, making mornings much simpler.
I discovered more answers on the internet
The proof, which concerns the classification of mathematical symmetry groups – a concept aptly known as the "Enormous Theorem" – took 100 mathematicians three decades and some 15,000 pages of workings to pin down.
I’m somewhat partial to this visual explanation of Nicomachus’s theorem.
It is a visual proof of the identity 1³+2³+3³+….+n³ = (1+2+3+….+n)²
Squared triangular number – Wikipedia [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squared_triangular_number ]
I am confident you will be intrigued
How long did it take to prove 1 1 2?
The answer is: Now we can understand why it took them 379 pages just to prove 1+1=2. It’s because they did not only intend to prove mathematics logically, but they also intended to give meaning to numbers like “1” and “2” as well as to symbols such as “+” and “=”.
Herein, What is the toughest math theorem?
“There are no whole number solutions to the equation xn + yn = zn when n is greater than 2.” Otherwise known as “Fermat’s Last Theorem,” this equation was first posed by French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in 1637, and had stumped the world’s brightest minds for more than 300 years.
One may also ask, What is the shortest proof in mathematics?
The shortest proofs are counterproofs. A Mersenne number is two raised to some power, minus one. Many Mersenne numbers are prime (so many that mathematicians suspect some sort of relationship, so they study this area a lot). The number thirty-one is a prime Mersenne number, because it is two to the fifth minus one.
Thereof, What is the hardest maths question in the world?
As a response to this: That is, can you write every possible even natural number as the sum of two primes? The Goldbach conjecture answers this question in the affirmative. It states: GB: “Every even integer greater than 4 can be written as the sum of two prime numbers.”
Likewise, What is the longest mathematical proof?
In reply to that: This is a list of unusually long mathematical proofs. Such proofs often use computational proof methods and may be considered non-surveyable . As of 2011, the longest mathematical proof, measured by number of published journal pages, is the classification of finite simple groups with well over 10000 pages.
Accordingly, What is a ‘proof’ in maths? Response will be: Good guy Graham came through with the cheque earlier this month. The proof, which in maths means a written deductive argument that shows how you came to your answer, takes up a 200-terabyte file on the supercomputer – roughly equivalent to all the digitised text held by the US Library of Congress.
Also, How long is an unusually long proof?
The length of unusually long proofs has increased with time. As a rough rule of thumb, 100 pages in 1900, or 200 pages in 1950, or 500 pages in 2000 is unusually long for a proof.
Likewise, How long did it take to prove the enormous theorem? Response to this: The proof, which concerns the classification of mathematical symmetry groups – a concept aptly known as the "Enormous Theorem" – took 100 mathematicians three decades and some 15,000 pages of workings to pin down. All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date.