Re: [math-fun] Cramer's Paradox

<< Stirling (in 1717) prove that 9 points uniquely define a cubic. McLaurin (in 1720) proved that two cubics intersect in at most nine points. Bezout gets credit for it, due to his incorrect proof which came years later. Around 1750, Euler and Cramer noticed that these seem to contradict, since different cubics are passing through the same nine points.

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Um, what's the apparent contradiction? Different lines intersect in at most one point. Many lines can pass through that same point. The point being??? --Dan _____________________________________________________________________ "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that certain je ne sais quoi." --Peter Schickele