scott <sco### [at] scottcom> wrote:
> >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_%2B_2_%2B_3_%2B_4_%2B_%E2%8B%AF
> >
> > You may also like the proof that all triangles are equilateral:
> >
> > https://youtu.be/Yajonhixy4g
>
> Doesn't that come under a different category of just being a trick/hoax
> though (a bit like all the 1=2 type "proofs")? As opposed to this
> assuming 1+2+3+...=-1/12 thing is actually useful in other areas of
> maths and science.

No professor I've ever met would accept this statement as true without the
intermediate theorems which would show (if I'm understanding correctly) that the
intent is to subtract infinity from the sum of all natural numbers.

As written, this is a false premise.

The people that made the video -knew- that they were oversimplifying the
premise.  They did this to create a mystery where there was no mystery in order
to "Engage the wider public".  The idea was that people would research the
topics more fully in order to understand how this could be, but the problem is
that this whole topic is useless unless you're working with quantum mechanics,
in which case you have a great deal more knowledge about mathematics, and this
becomes a carny trick.

There are plenty of interesting areas of mathematics that can be showcased to do
what they were attempting to do without resorting to mathematical slight of
hand.

Regards,
A.D.B.

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