28 Apr
2006
28 Apr
'06
1:01 p.m.
Some suggestions: Hamilton: ii=jj=kk=ijk=-1 (I guess he was left-handed...) Cantor: |R|>|Z| (diagonalization, which was later used by Godel) Polya's theory of counting Newton: solution of 2-body problem is a conic section Risch: integration in closed form Newton: "Newton's Method" sqrt, etc., widely applicable to lots of things. Church's Lambda Calculus (also "combinators") -- theory of substitution in trees. Tarski: decision procedure for real closed fields. At 09:08 AM 4/28/2006, Cordwell, William R wrote:
One of my students asked me what my favorite theorem was, a question that I found interesting and surprisingly difficult to answer.
So...what's your favorite theorem or proof (and why)?
--Bill C.