----- Original Message ---- From: Fred lunnon <fred.lunnon@gmail.com> To: math-fun <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Saturday, August 25, 2007 5:18:45 PM Subject: Re: [math-fun] Constructivist logic On 8/25/07, Eugene Salamin <gene_salamin@yahoo.com> wrote:
Could some constructivists or intuitionists answer the following. There are two summits on a mountain ridge. You are a peak bagger; you need to hike to the highest peak. The two peaks look equally high, and the map says they have the same elevation. So you just hike up both of them. Can you truthfully assert that you have climbed to the high point of the ridge?
Why might this question be expected to receive different answers from intuitionists vis-a-vis nonconstructivists? WFL I thought that for an intuitionist, to prove A or B, it is necessary to either prove A or to prove B. I was curious as to how an intuitionist would apply that principle to real life situations. Gene ____________________________________________________________________________________ Need a vacation? Get great deals to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel. http://travel.yahoo.com/