Oldest open problem

[sio]

Achim wants to know, whether the Goldbach Conjecture (C1:Guy) is realy the
oldest open problem in mathematics.

Contest: What was the silliest article in science/math? The prize had
to be the FAQ entry.
My proposal:
> please send my a prime between 20 and 50.
> I need it urgent. This is not a homework!!!

=============== Ruhm statt Geld =============================

[Bill Taylor]

>Achim wants to know, whether the Goldbach Conjecture (C1:Guy) is realy the
>oldest open problem in mathematics.

Not by a mile.

The question of whether there is an odd perfect number is far older, being
the only remaining unsolked question dating from Greek times.

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Bill Taylor w...@math.canterbury.ac.nz
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There's no future in living in the past.
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[walter misar]

In article <1992Nov24....@unibi.hrz.uni-bielefeld.de>, umat...@unibi.hrz.uni-bielefeld.de (sio) writes:
> Achim wants to know, whether the Goldbach Conjecture (C1:Guy) is realy the
> oldest open problem in mathematics.

What's about the question wether odd perfect numbers exist ?

--
Walter Misar
mi...@rbhp56.rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de

[Angus H Rodgers]

>> please send my a prime between 20 and 50.
>> I need it urgent. This is not a homework!!!

OK, you can have 31.

But make sure you give it back when you've finished with it!
Somebody else might be needing it.

And if I find that it has any proper prime factors when I get it back,
you'll have to pay for a new one.
--
Gus Rodgers, Dept. of Computer Science, | "The truth of a property said to be
Queen Mary & Westfield College, Mile End | approximate is something quite diff-
Road, London, England. +44 71 975 5241 | erent from the approximate truth of
E-mail (JANET): arod...@dcs.qmw.ac.uk | a property said to be exact."J.Nicod

[Kevin Ford]

w...@math.canterbury.ac.nz (Bill Taylor) writes:

>>Achim wants to know, whether the Goldbach Conjecture (C1:Guy) is realy the
>>oldest open problem in mathematics.

>Not by a mile.

>The question of whether there is an odd perfect number is far older, being
>the only remaining unsolked question dating from Greek times.

Doesn't the twin prime conjecture date from Greek times also?

Kevin Ford
fo...@symcom.math.uiuc.edu

[Bill Taylor]

>>The question of whether there is an odd perfect number is far older, being

>>the only remaining unsolved question dating from Greek times.

>
>Doesn't the twin prime conjecture date from Greek times also?

Not that I'm aware of.
I have the vague feeling that it is even later than Goldbach's conjecture.

I have had a request by email to substantiate my claim about the odd perfect
number problem being Greek. In fact, this same person has asked me this same
question, last time this topic came up ! I wrote a reply then, but he has
obviously forgotten. ;-) (Why should anyone pay attention to me, anyway?!)

However, it is obviously a popular issue, so I will post the reference this time.

"The Man who loves only numbers" Paul Hoffman
Atlantic Monthly, Nov '87 , page 87

I don't know how much of an authority the author is, but at least it's a
reference. He states....

"the Greeks wondered whether odd perfect numbers exist"

and calls it "the oldest unsolved problem in maths".

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Bill Taylor w...@math.canterbury.ac.nz
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STOP PRESS: An autopsy has revealed that the monster that killed Superman
had a large quantity of kryptonite in its bloodstream.
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