On 13/12/2010 06:23 PM, Darren New wrote:

> Proof by contradiction isn't reducto ad absurdum.

What is then?

>> This doesn't *prove* anything, but it does explain why you can't solve
>> the equation, in a way which intuitively makes sense.
>
> Actually, that *is* a valid proof. I'm not sure why you think it's not a
> proof.

Presumably since I haven't proven the Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic, 
this doesn't count as a valid proof.

It does, however, make a lot more sense to somebody who is willing to 
take it on faith. (I gather that actually *proving* the matter in this 
direction is drastically more complex...)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
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