Sloane's Gap - Numberphile

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2013
  • Thanks to www.audible.com/numberphile
    More links & stuff in full description below ↓↓↓
    Here's the paper Dr Grime discusses: arxiv.org/pdf/1101.4470.pdf
    OEIS: oeis.org
    Dr Grime: singingbanana.com
    1729: • 1729 and Taxi Cabs - N...
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ความคิดเห็น • 1.6K

  • @codyhaderlie8455
    @codyhaderlie8455 3 ปีที่แล้ว +327

    When I was about 16, I decided to become a great mathematician by submitting all these worthless sequences I came up with myself to the OEIS. After a few of them got published, I started submitting variations on them--using them as functions within each other, changing variables, etc. Most of those were published until I got a message from Neil Sloane himself telling me to quit it, with an exclamation mark. Five years later, that's still probably the coolest thing that's ever happened to me.
    To give you an idea of how bad these sequences were, one of my (rejected) submissions was: a(n) = n - 47

    • @ndril
      @ndril 2 ปีที่แล้ว +149

      "counting, but it starts at -46"
      brilliant

    • @achtsekundenfurz7876
      @achtsekundenfurz7876 2 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Well... 32 used to work for °F temperatures, so why not? -- Today it's fallen out of use, except for one former British colony ;)

    • @lesthodson2802
      @lesthodson2802 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@achtsekundenfurz7876 One self-liberated colony of an irrelevant rump state, you mean.
      And fahrenheit is a more human-relative temperature than c*lcius.

    • @SpicyMapping
      @SpicyMapping 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      was about to like this until I realized it was at 0 likes

    • @ckq
      @ckq 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      I was trying to join oeis when I was like 12, but they never accepted me since I couldn't prove my identity. I used to regularly lookup sequences I came up with to see if OEIS found them yet and occasionally I'd find new sequences but could never submit them

  • @aditsu
    @aditsu 8 ปีที่แล้ว +809

    Let's make a sequence of all the numbers that don't appear in OEIS, and add that sequence to OEIS ^_^

    • @aditsu
      @aditsu 7 ปีที่แล้ว +117

      Jeoshua Collins Fair points, but you missed the main one: adding the sequence to OEIS would be an instant paradox.

    • @JeoshuaCollins
      @JeoshuaCollins 7 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      aditsu If whatever code you used for the equation actually pulled from the OEIS directly, and failed to ignore itself, it would be an infinite loop... tho it might take a while to realize that's what happened, as even without that problem, it's a hard problem to solve... I don't mean like calculus, either... rather one of those insoluble problems that mathematicians call "Hard" in a rather cheeky "It's actually possible, but could never be solved given all the time in the universe" manner.

    • @TeetoPlastic
      @TeetoPlastic 7 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      It's too bad your comment reply isn't where it should be. I was going to post it to /r/iamverysmart

    • @JeoshuaCollins
      @JeoshuaCollins 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Where should it be? I don't know if you meant me or him, but have at it, as far as I am concerned.

    • @TeetoPlastic
      @TeetoPlastic 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I got a notification saying there'd been a reply to my year-old comment but it seems that it only exists in the email notification. I wouldn't have mentioned it if it was there.

  • @jtfroh
    @jtfroh 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1038

    So... mathematicians using math to figure out what math mathematicians most often use in math... how meta can we get here? Any one have an equation to find that?

    • @celestus87
      @celestus87 8 ปีที่แล้ว +61

      +jtfroh f(derp) = (derp^2herp x π) + (erhamgerd x derp^e)

    • @aeriumsoft
      @aeriumsoft 8 ปีที่แล้ว +28

      +celestus87 g64^g64

    • @joshuahadams
      @joshuahadams 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      +celestus87 are these variables or constants?

    • @jceepf
      @jceepf 8 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Not completely obvious.... the base 10 guys are clearly cultural.... Mathematicians study numbers without an obvious cultural bias so perhaps this gap is less meta mathematical that one would assume at first sight.
      But who knows.....

    • @bensmith3890
      @bensmith3890 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      jtfroh parenthesis! when math gets meta!

  • @cobcanon9737
    @cobcanon9737 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1944

    1729 is the 1729th number. Thank me later.

    • @niklasgransjen684
      @niklasgransjen684 7 ปีที่แล้ว +45

      Cob Canon
      MindBlown.gif

    • @jonathanschossig1276
      @jonathanschossig1276 7 ปีที่แล้ว +80

      Cob Canon *natural numbers

    • @ulissesrps
      @ulissesrps 7 ปีที่แล้ว +44

      0 isn't the first number?

    • @sheikchilli8670
      @sheikchilli8670 7 ปีที่แล้ว +94

      +Ulisses Rodrigues
      Its the 0th number

    • @leotamer5
      @leotamer5 7 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Actually, it depends on which number you start at, and the rate of growth.
      1729 is the 1729th natural number, the 1729th whole number, and it would be near impossible to count its place on the integer sequence or rational number sequence.

  • @cloudstrifex88
    @cloudstrifex88 3 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    I'm glad they got Neal Slone on Numberphile after this was made... he's my favorite one to watch

  • @fft2020
    @fft2020 9 ปีที่แล้ว +591

    Dr. Grime you are the most cheerful, funny and emphatics guy I have ever seen.
    It is impossible to see one youtube video of yours without becoming in a good mood and with spirits up. GOD BLESS YOU !

    • @mysteryman7877
      @mysteryman7877 6 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      fft2020 Cliff too! The Klein bottle guy!

    • @aizenadante78
      @aizenadante78 6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬😬 Nonono Nonono Nonono Nonono Nonono Nonono Nonono Nonono Nonono Nonono Nonono Nonono

    • @Drostman
      @Drostman 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I want to like this ... but it already has 333 likes. Wouldn't want to make this number less popular now

    • @silentinferno2382
      @silentinferno2382 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Wait till u see Parker

  • @ariel_haymarket
    @ariel_haymarket 8 ปีที่แล้ว +116

    the graph seems to fit Zipf's law as well.

    • @rishabhchandra5884
      @rishabhchandra5884 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      yep...per bak's self-organizing criticality !!

    • @Tulanir1
      @Tulanir1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      A/x for some constant A would perfectly fit zipf's law. this is A/x^1.33, so it's pretty evident

    • @evilotis01
      @evilotis01 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      dammit i came here to say that

  • @TeetoPlastic
    @TeetoPlastic 9 ปีที่แล้ว +1605

    His enthusiasm is quite infectious. Unfortunately, I have no idea what he's talking about.

    • @GtaRockt
      @GtaRockt 9 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      Barba Ro about numbers and math and stuff

    • @GETxLEGIT
      @GETxLEGIT 8 ปีที่แล้ว +42

      Barba Ro
      ( ಠ_ಠ) aahh, ok, i see...
      ( ಠ_ಠ) I still dont get it, guess ill watch another one.

    • @Wingedshadowwolf
      @Wingedshadowwolf 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Barba Ro I think that's why I like this channel.

    • @EpicFishStudio
      @EpicFishStudio 8 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      someone made a graph about 'popular numbers' used in database where were tons of number sequences. the thing was that some numbers are more mainstream than others

    • @EpicFishStudio
      @EpicFishStudio 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      someone made a graph about 'popular numbers' used in database where were tons of number sequences. the thing was that some numbers are more mainstream than others

  • @johnqpublic2718
    @johnqpublic2718 9 ปีที่แล้ว +46

    I wish I had Dr. Grime for maths analysis at university. Love this guy.

  • @fstwunk
    @fstwunk 10 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    "When the Internet came along, that was a nice opportunity to put it online."
    - Love these vids :D

  • @ReVox77a
    @ReVox77a 9 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    He's always smiling! tt's nice to see someone excited about their work for a change, especially with everyone being so grumpy these days.

    • @cnano98
      @cnano98 9 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Bruce K Watch the Klein bottle video lol. That guy is the happiest guy I've ever seen.

    • @hungomcbungo569
      @hungomcbungo569 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      leon bushnell and the other people were

  • @dramawind
    @dramawind 7 ปีที่แล้ว +55

    When you call a number boring and that number ends up being remembered by everyone for how interesting it is.
    Feels bad man.

    • @angelmendez-rivera351
      @angelmendez-rivera351 5 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      A number cannot be boring, for if it is boring, then having the property of being boring makes it interesting.

    • @shambosaha9727
      @shambosaha9727 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      @The coo - king Hey it is not Thomas Hardy, Thomas Hardy was a writer, this man is Godfrey Harold Hardy, a mathematician.

  • @numberphile
    @numberphile  10 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    thank you for watching - we appreciate it!

  • @evilotis01
    @evilotis01 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Ramanujan was the most wonderfully creative maths genius. It's so sad that he didn't live longer.

  • @invalidinvalid8645
    @invalidinvalid8645 10 ปีที่แล้ว +139

    Am I the only one to notice that this guy is the happiest man on earth?

    • @uruiamnot
      @uruiamnot 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I think the guy who painted happy trees on PBS has him beat.

    • @bamsauce2312
      @bamsauce2312 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@uruiamnot That man isn't on earth he's in the happy little clouds he painted for his friends Mr Rogers and Robin Williams.

    • @e11eohe11e
      @e11eohe11e 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      That man's name is Bob Ross ☁️

    • @sam-ui5lc
      @sam-ui5lc 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Don't forget cliff stoll and tom Crawford

    • @benjamin11235
      @benjamin11235 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      *the happiest man on TH-cam

  • @gazamidori2866
    @gazamidori2866 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    When you realize the guy whos Sloane gap is named after, Neil Sloane, has been on numberphile. Everything is connected

  • @DeathBringer769
    @DeathBringer769 6 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    This is always my favorite guy to watch on this channel. Like others have said, his enthusiasm for the material is quite infectious and refreshing ;)

  • @WowplayerMe
    @WowplayerMe 8 ปีที่แล้ว +430

    I hate it when all the popular numbers band together,,,,and beat up on the nerd numbers.

    • @szymonharbuz9052
      @szymonharbuz9052 8 ปีที่แล้ว +65

      lik dis if u kry evry timme

    • @phiefer3
      @phiefer3 8 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      +WowplayerMe But the nerd numbers are the popular numbers. . .

    • @RedsBoneStuff
      @RedsBoneStuff 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      ,,,,

    • @shaunstrudwickdj
      @shaunstrudwickdj 6 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      DUN DUN DUNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!! (cue dramatic film music! >:) XD)

    • @chiprock804
      @chiprock804 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Revenge of the nerd numbers.

  • @CSAN33
    @CSAN33 10 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I just wanted to say thank you to Brady and everyone else that puts together the videos from Numberphile, Sixty Symbols, Periodic Videos, Compterphile, etc... These videos are very entertaining, and always informative! Thanks!

  • @isopod6043
    @isopod6043 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    These videos are always so intriguing, and yet so calming. I should see how often I fall asleep after one of these videos over other videos...thank you for intriguing me in math when school ruined it for me, more or less

  • @mteverafter8
    @mteverafter8 10 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    Yesss! I found a channel for my love of math and numbers!! Best day ever!

    • @WolfgangGalilei
      @WolfgangGalilei 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      hey! did you end up going the math path?

  • @LukeBeacon
    @LukeBeacon 10 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    What I love about these channels is that they provide proper sources. Often peer reviewed journal articles or papers. A lot better than the usual circumstances with videos

  • @Hellfir3jag
    @Hellfir3jag 10 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    My professor played this video for class today. The video stopped to buffer many times, and at each point, we all burst into laughter at the hilarious expressions that you give.. Keep it up man!

  • @boumbh
    @boumbh 9 ปีที่แล้ว +328

    So, what is the least interesting number?

    • @this_too_shaII_pass
      @this_too_shaII_pass 9 ปีที่แล้ว +190

      boumbh That is kidn of a paradox, the least interesting number would be very interesting just because it is the least interesting xD

    • @alejandrotejeda3695
      @alejandrotejeda3695 9 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      boumbh 27

    • @boumbh
      @boumbh 9 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      Alejandro Tejeda I hope you are joking, it is three to the power of three! Like in "may the power of three be with you"!

    • @alejandrotejeda3695
      @alejandrotejeda3695 9 ปีที่แล้ว

      boumbh Didn't get the simpson reference?

    • @boumbh
      @boumbh 9 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Alejandro Tejeda No :-( ... Girls just want to have sums...

  • @farmeryaeg
    @farmeryaeg 10 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Dr. Grime's videos are always my favorite. Keep it up!

  • @grantkohler7612
    @grantkohler7612 10 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    So the popular band is the one with less numbers flocking to it? Wow, I must've been really popular back in high-school!

  • @saftmeisterruffel8820
    @saftmeisterruffel8820 10 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    this guy is so enthusiastic to numbers , that i wanna give his childhood a hug :/

  • @bowelsoftrogdor
    @bowelsoftrogdor 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I want to hug you so much for being as enthusiastic about math as I am!

  • @numberphile
    @numberphile  10 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    It is a great read!

  • @cvijetkolivadic5907
    @cvijetkolivadic5907 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2194

    Like if you're against number discrimination.

    • @mb_2174
      @mb_2174 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      +Cvijetko Livadic I was waiting for this

    • @samdame6819
      @samdame6819 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      34,562 FTW!!!

    • @KX36
      @KX36 7 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      Ordinary numbers matter!!!

    • @-danR
      @-danR 7 ปีที่แล้ว +43

      Prime numbers are overrated. Drain the swamp.

    • @JonnyOgg
      @JonnyOgg 7 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      there are no ordinary numbers

  • @BelaCurcio
    @BelaCurcio 9 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I feel like the purpose of that last bit was just to show his completely endearing fascination with maths culture. It captured my heart.

  • @kirofars
    @kirofars 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    love your videos, well done Brady for all the channels and James is one of my favourites. Inspiring stuff guys.

  • @thomasstewart9752
    @thomasstewart9752 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Here's my conjecture: Numbers with larger amounts of simply definable characteristics will appear more due to sequences being based on defined characteristics.
    Furthermore, as the complexity of the characteristics increases, the frequency of the more common numbers will change only slightly, as they have already been established in the earlier stages of complexity.
    The ordered bands are a side effect of the basic properties of numbers and rules.

  • @sanderhfl
    @sanderhfl 9 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Most of the time I have no idea what they`re talking about, non whatsoever!
    Yet I`m fascinated!

  • @quebono100
    @quebono100 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    Numberphil make me always smile. You have the passion that i missed in the mathematical study

  • @Alexlind88
    @Alexlind88 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    These are the kind of topics are the reason I subscribed to this channel.

  • @ChristopherKing288
    @ChristopherKing288 7 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Did they compile a list of the ordinary numbers? It would be quite interesting to see that. A OESIS entry could even be given.

  • @rexevans100
    @rexevans100 9 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Find a number thats a sum of three prime numbers, and its also a quotient of 2 cubed numbers.

    • @giron716
      @giron716 7 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      59+2+3 = (8^3)/(2^3)

  • @jaimeluis5098
    @jaimeluis5098 10 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I watch all of these videos, and I almost never know what they are talking about, but I always feel like I've learned something.

  • @johndue2366
    @johndue2366 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Being an electronic engineer of trade and an electronic engineer of heart, math is a part of most solutions in my world.
    Your presentations of complicated math to us amateurs is just pure entertainment.
    Thank You
    /JD

  • @stumbling
    @stumbling 9 ปีที่แล้ว +208

    Is it possible to write a sequence of numbers that has no valid mathematical rule?
    For example, 3, 73, 132, 1972, 4, 41,... might look like random numbers but is there a way to prove that there is no mathematical link? (If indeed there is none.)

    • @doceigen
      @doceigen 9 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      CowLunch I know... let's ask the NSA? They'll tell us which number sequence
      is random and truly beyond their control. ; )

    • @theWestonian
      @theWestonian 9 ปีที่แล้ว +62

      CowLunch Polynomial interpolation is a powerful thing.

    • @koljahartmann4995
      @koljahartmann4995 9 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      CowLunch Any mathmatical rule, no matter how it might look like, must build from an finite numer of charakters and therefore all of the rules combined are cuntable infinite.
      But your sequences are all infinite which makes the set of all of them uncountable infinite. So there musst be an uncountable set of sequences which do not follow any mathmatical rule :)

    • @ThePeterDislikeShow
      @ThePeterDislikeShow 8 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      CowLunch Isn't there a paradox that says the first number that isn't interesting becomes interesting because of that fact?

    • @mjmlvp
      @mjmlvp 8 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      It is not possible. Writing a list of numbers is in itself a 'rule'.

  • @jayladuhaney6786
    @jayladuhaney6786 9 ปีที่แล้ว +40

    that one dimple is driving me crazy

  • @starrecipe9
    @starrecipe9 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    Nice job on finding it. It's actually a really useful formula that is used a lot. Normally it is taught in algebra classes, and only sometimes is it actually explained.

  • @andriesinze
    @andriesinze 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for the book recomandation. Just finished it and was one of the best books ive ever read.

  • @DA-bm2mj
    @DA-bm2mj 4 ปีที่แล้ว +43

    fun fact: in Russian language the prime numbers are called "simple" or "ordinary" numbers lol

    • @Etevoldo
      @Etevoldo 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I mean they are the simplest numbers in a way (# of factors being only two, while the others have more)

    • @k_meleon
      @k_meleon 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      calling them simple makes a nice reflection to simple groups, it's a pretty pleasong name actually

    • @pm1783
      @pm1783 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      In Soviet Russia, numbers prime you.

    • @Xnoob545
      @Xnoob545 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@Etevoldo 1 has only 1 factor

  • @seanlegge3854
    @seanlegge3854 9 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    Proof by contradiction that all positive integers are interesting: assume that not all positive integers are interesting. Then, the set of positive integers that are not interesting is non-empty. By the Well Ordering Principle, that set has a least element. So, there is a smallest, non-interesting number. ISN'T THAT INTERESTING! ~_^

    • @geepee5176
      @geepee5176 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Assume not all positive integers are interesting: OK
      Then, the set of positive integers that are not interesting is non-empty: But who cares?
      Contradiction averted.

    • @PhilippeCarphin
      @PhilippeCarphin 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Lol, I just finished writing this exact thing. Then I scroll down to find your comment. Yours is clearer though.

    • @MarcusCactus
      @MarcusCactus 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Solving the paradox:
      ‘Interesting’ (or ‘boring’) are undefined terms. It is like you were saying: Not all people are beautiful. Take the set of ‘not beautiful’ people. There must be one which is the most beautiful of them.
      Silly. Beauty and interest are 1. subjective ; 2. Continuous rather than categorical ; 3. non measurable.
      What is the smallest ‘big’ number?

    • @PhilippeCarphin
      @PhilippeCarphin 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@@MarcusCactus It's not a paradox, it's a math joke. About your continuous thing though, in the case ok this joke, interest is not continuous: a number is either interesting or it isn't.
      Also, your argument about beautiful people doesn't work the same way as the interesting thing. Being the most beautiful non-beautiful people just makes you that. The most beautiful non-beautiful person. Whereas being the smallest non-interesting number MAKES that number interesting. You don't have that contradiction with your beauty example : being the most beautiful non-beautiful person doesn't make you beautiful. That's why the joke works.

    • @MarcusCactus
      @MarcusCactus 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Philippe Carphin : something is not ‘either interesting or not ‘. It is more interesting than this and less interesting than that. Continuous fuzzy subjective ordering.
      Quand il y a paradoxe, il faut chercher l’erreur dans l’énoncé ou les prémisses implicites. Ici, l’erreur est de poser que ‘intéressant’ est une catégorie binaire bien définie. Le paradoxe est une preuve par l’absurde, non pas que tous les nombres sont intéressants, mais qu’on ne peut les trier en deux classes ainsi définies.

  • @sodiumraccoon991
    @sodiumraccoon991 9 ปีที่แล้ว

    i never understand anything you say but i still watch your videos, i think it's just your enthusiasm about everything lol

  • @Msfall0utgirl
    @Msfall0utgirl 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    The second I saw TFIOS I literally screamed.

  • @NeemeVaino
    @NeemeVaino 9 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    It would be interesting to study Sloan's Gap's evolution in time. My wild guess is that it was wider in past and narrows in time. The gap represents the amount of subjectivity in our perception of abstract. The lower band is white noise and upper band is human capacity of perception.

  • @TehKhronicler
    @TehKhronicler 9 ปีที่แล้ว +89

    A mathematician of all people shouldn't speak so lightly of the blatant discrimination and subjugation of numbers. It's okay to be ordinary

  • @eclipseslayer98
    @eclipseslayer98 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    It"s always nice to throw around theories and have them proven or disproven so you can expand your knowledge base. Thank you.

  • @dushyanthabandarapalipana5492
    @dushyanthabandarapalipana5492 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks !Happy new year!

  • @gerardhoule6303
    @gerardhoule6303 10 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    And with that, math has proven that mathematicians play favorites. XD

  • @1curiocat
    @1curiocat 8 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    Actually, you can show that all whole numbers are interesting. Proof:
    - Assume that one or more of the whole numbers are uninteresting.
    - Then, there must be a smallest uninteresting whole number.
    - Surely, the smallest uninteresting number is interesting by virtue of it being the smallest uninteresting number, which leads to a contradiction.
    - Therefore all whole numbers must be interesting.

    • @samspencer5931
      @samspencer5931 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      You contradicted yourself. Your first assumption assumes at least one whole number is uninteresting, while your conclusion concludes that all whole numbers are interesting. uninteresting ≠ interesting

    • @bobbitorgo7710
      @bobbitorgo7710 8 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      Sam Spencer The contradiction is the point. It's called a reductio ad absurdum.

    • @bobjeff7476
      @bobjeff7476 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      What he was showing in the video is not what you have supposedly proven. The video suggests that while all whole numbers are interesting, some are more interesting than others. Let's say we have f(n) = x, where n is some number, and x is a numerical indicator of how interesting the number is. Now suppose that a number is considered "popular" if x is greater than some value y. Now you state that if f(n) = x, then the smallest n where x < y should be more interesting than it really is, thereby making the statement of x + z > y. This may sometimes be true, but it is not guaranteed.

  • @MinuteMaths
    @MinuteMaths 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    great explanation, i wonder if people start focusing on the numbers in the gap, they will be more likely to discover newer connections more easily and quicker

  • @chillermafia
    @chillermafia 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    you made me want to think about math more thoroughly than just trying to pass my exams.
    it is now fascinating and fun for me
    thank you : )

  • @shirashirashirashirashir
    @shirashirashirashirashir ปีที่แล้ว +3

    very funny watching this after niel sloane joined numberphile

  • @christophermccaul5662
    @christophermccaul5662 8 ปีที่แล้ว +85

    Looks zipfy

    • @MrRishik123
      @MrRishik123 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      +christopher mccaul It does to an extent. Just that annoying gap that makes it a little odd. It's like high school heirarchy for numbers with that top band.

    • @orbitalteapot21
      @orbitalteapot21 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      +Mr Rishi The Cookie is it zipfy?

    • @MrRishik123
      @MrRishik123 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      Muhammad Abdullah *shrugs* ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    • @PrashantBatule
      @PrashantBatule 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      christopher mccaul for it to be zipfy, in the equation of that curve, the power of the 'n' in the denominator should be 1 or closer to 1 (like 1.002 or something like that)

    • @FrankHarwald
      @FrankHarwald 7 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Indeed, it's quiet close to Zipf's law, except Zipf's law is lambda * n^(-1), whereis this is closer to lambda * n^(-1.33)

  • @Tasaq313
    @Tasaq313 8 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I like how the curve also appears Zipfian (and most likely it is a Zipfian distribution) :)

  • @tom7
    @tom7 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    These videos are great!

  • @joseph-fernando-piano
    @joseph-fernando-piano 8 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    There are 3 numbers at the far right of the graph, between 8000 and 10,000, that only appear in sequences once each? I'm really curious to know what numbers those are!
    Also, at the far far left end of the graph, there is a huge gap (due to the log scale of the y-axis) between the first few numbers and the rest of the set... what are the numbers on either side of that divide?
    Actually, is this data series published anywhere for public download?

    • @brucelauney3971
      @brucelauney3971 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Joseph Fernando Those were my thoughts exactly when I saw this.

  • @NoriMori1992
    @NoriMori1992 9 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    What I'd like to know is, what types of numbers usually appear in the midst of the gap?

    • @Luredreier
      @Luredreier 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      +NoriMori Yeah, I'm curious about that as well.
      To me it looks like there's a small band just above the bottom band but quite a bit below the top band of numbers inside the gap.
      And they look interesting to me. =)

    • @Luredreier
      @Luredreier 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      ***** Look at the graph, there are a few numbers there.
      Even though they're few and far between they seem interesting to us.
      We'd like to know more about them, *because* they're so few.
      And yes, we did understand the point of the video...

    • @gloom_slug
      @gloom_slug 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      +Luredreier But if we started showing interest in them, those might get elevated to top band, leaving behind a gap. :)

    • @Luredreier
      @Luredreier 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      skr47ch 無限 True, but only *after* they've been mentioned x number of times in that encyclopedia they mentioned.
      Them being in the middle of the gap would only cause them each to be mentioned once more each in the lists I think.

    • @gloom_slug
      @gloom_slug 8 ปีที่แล้ว

      Luredreier that makes sense.

  • @TheHuesSciTech
    @TheHuesSciTech 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent question. You can expand the multiplication (x-1)(x+1) to x^2 - x + x - 1. The two x's cancel out, leaving just x^2-1, so they're equivalent.
    Put another way, imagine you have 25 (x^2) stones laid out in a 5 x 5 grid. Throw the top right stone away (the minus 1). Now take the four (x-1) stones at the top, and place them on the right. Now you have a grid of four (x-1) rows high and six (x+1) columns wide, 4*6=24=25-1. Same logic works for any size grid.

  • @tejasnaik14
    @tejasnaik14 7 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Is it possible that the curve has something to do with Zipf's law ?

    • @andrewbeaudoin2969
      @andrewbeaudoin2969 6 ปีที่แล้ว

      +Tejas Naik I would think so! I was about to comment on it, glad someone else, though a year earlier, saw it. Interesting how natural Zipf is, isn't it?

  • @TwistedLemniscate
    @TwistedLemniscate 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I'm curious to know what kind of gap we'd see if we get rid of all the sequences that pay heed to the number's base.

    • @iAmTheSquidThing
      @iAmTheSquidThing 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Me too, I'm not really interested in sequences that only apply to base 10. I usually skip over those videos on Numberphile.

    • @JoeMansley
      @JoeMansley 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      +

  • @silicoid
    @silicoid 8 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    I hate you guys!
    I watched this video before bed. I dreamed about it till I woke up at 3 am and had to think about it for a solid hour.
    Thanks for tickling my brain ... fsss ;-)

  • @princecharles3758
    @princecharles3758 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    By Saint George! Integer sequences are well interesting. I spend all my time on that.

  • @sheetalkhandelwal8755
    @sheetalkhandelwal8755 5 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is the best thumbnail on numberphile ever.

  • @jacksainthill8974
    @jacksainthill8974 9 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    What is the sequence of unsequenced numbers?
    (I'm just trying to Russell up trouble, here!)

  • @AndrewWilsonStooshie
    @AndrewWilsonStooshie 10 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    This might sound like a weird question, but is there a way to express numbers without using a base? Because from this video it would appear that whatever base you use, certain numbers will immediately take on a significance purely because you are expressing the numbers in that particular base.
    In other words, can any significance that the base has be filtered out when looking at the "interestingness" of numbers?

    • @ceruchi2084
      @ceruchi2084 5 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      From what I understand from other Numberphile videos, mathematicians usually only consider a discovery serious if it works in ALL bases. Otherwise it seems like a recreational math trick, something just for fun. A lot of the integer sequences on the OEIS *are* just for fun, so no surprise that they include visually interesting base-10 stuff. Sorry you had to wait 100 years for a reply, lol. (In binary.)

    • @sykes1024
      @sykes1024 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      It depends on how pedantic you get about what a "base" means. There's unary, which in some sense is base 1, but it doesn't really behave like other bases as there's no concept of "place value". Unary is just having a mark for every bit of value. So, 1=1, 2=11, 3=111, 4=1111. When you add them, rather than having to do some computation, you just concatenate them. So, 11 + 11 = 1111 (2+2=4 in unary). But of course multiplication can be a bit slow if you want to work purely in unary. You can sort of just make a multiplication table. if you want to get the result of 111 * 1111 (3*4), just make a rectangular array of 1's that is 111 wide and 1111 tall and concatenate all those 1's together and you have your answer.
      And if you're working purely in unary, counting becomes a kind of pointless exercise as if I asked you how many 1's are in: "111111" and expected you to answer in unary, you'd just repeat back what I said, "111111".

    • @vojtechstrnad1
      @vojtechstrnad1 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      The OEIS sequences all have tags that describe them, one of them being "base", which means the sequence is dependent on the base used. Surely it wouldn't be difficult to filter these sequences out, should someone try.

  • @drh255
    @drh255 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Right now you have 1729000 subscribers. Exactly. Wow.

  • @mvmlego1212
    @mvmlego1212 10 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Correct. That's something I noticed rather recently as well. It relates to the difference of two squares. (x^2) - (a^2) = (x+a)(x-a). In the case that you pointed out, a = 1. However, this also works when a is equal to any real number, including negatives and decimals. (x^2) - 4 = (x-2)(x+2) ; (x^2) - 9 = (x-3)(x+3) ; (x^2) - 16 = (x-4)(x+4) ; etc.
    If you know a lot of perfect squares, it can save time when multiplying. Instead of trying to figure out what 39 x 41 is, square 40, then subtract 1.

  • @henk6172
    @henk6172 10 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    I just got an ad for people who are bad at math... xD

  • @luispato9335
    @luispato9335 9 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    is it just on the video or does it seem that on the bottom of the right side of the curve the numbers form some horizontal lines? Is there a reason for this? Hmmm, maybe just coincidence... ;)

  • @aarond0623
    @aarond0623 4 ปีที่แล้ว

    Six years later and now you can watch videos with Neil Sloane on Numberphile.

  • @yetanotherchannelyac1434
    @yetanotherchannelyac1434 3 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love his enthusiasm!

  • @rparl
    @rparl 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    All numbers are interesting! Consider the opposite: Some numbers are uninteresting. Of that set, what number is smallest? That is now interesting. QED

    • @JeoshuaCollins
      @JeoshuaCollins 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Nah. the smallest number of an otherwise uninteresting set just isn't as interesting as the least interesting prime number fits the sequence n^2 - 1. Which is, of course, 3.
      There are those who say none of the numbers are interesting, of course, but then those people aren't mathematicians making number sequences, now are they?

    • @rparl
      @rparl 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      IIRC there's a process of transforming a number so: If it's even, divide it by two. If it's odd, multiply by three and add (?) one. If it eventually ends up at 1, it's interesting.
      It was 30 or so years ago that I heard this, so the details may be a little off, but all numbers tried, ended up as 1. But some blow up to be very big before it happens.
      In any case, who's to say what's interesting? The successes of both Pokemon Go and Frozen indicate that tastes vary widely.

    • @ThePotaToh
      @ThePotaToh 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      Numberphile jz posted a video about the Collatz Conjecture!

  • @mishinegluposti1466
    @mishinegluposti1466 7 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Ziph's law.

  • @anusficker4life965
    @anusficker4life965 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    I want this guy as my maths teacher, he's just amazing.

  • @TranscendentBen
    @TranscendentBen 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    With 1600 comments I wish there were a search feature to see if someone else mentioned this, but:
    This reminds me of Goldbach's Comet.

  • @jakykong
    @jakykong 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Someone ought to create the sequence of numbers that don't appear in the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences.
    Or, actually, better not. This might implode the Internet.

    • @FFMgamingtv
      @FFMgamingtv 7 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      jakykong I can do it right here:
      Every integer appears in the encyclopedia

  • @johnharriman85
    @johnharriman85 10 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    All whole numbers are interesting. Consider the set of uninteresting whole numbers. It must have a smallest member. That is interesting.
    .

  • @rishidesai9755
    @rishidesai9755 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    2:55 He either means positive or nonnegative integers. There's an infinite # ways to right an integer as a sum of integers.

  • @sorryperson92
    @sorryperson92 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    Cannot believe he recommended that book. I just finished it a week ago. It seems like it's popping up everywhere.

  • @AlbertSirup
    @AlbertSirup 7 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    oh you like the top band, how cute... I prefer the boring numbers, you've probably never heard of them.

    • @calebmauer1751
      @calebmauer1751 6 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I liked 1729 before it joined the top band. Back when it meant something. :)

    • @angelmendez-rivera351
      @angelmendez-rivera351 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      There is no such a thing as a boring number.

  • @kmktruthserum9328
    @kmktruthserum9328 8 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    13*13*13 = 2179 which uses te integers from 1729 :D

  • @coffeeandtrance
    @coffeeandtrance 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    this was dr. grime's way of calling out the basic numbers

  • @davidorozco1474
    @davidorozco1474 7 ปีที่แล้ว

    hi there, regards from Mexico, i glad to see a video about why any number to the force zero es equal to 1. I really love your videos

    • @kennkong61
      @kennkong61 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I'm not sure about your meaning, but I am going to assume you are asking the question "Why is any number to the power 0 equal to 1?" I'll try to answer that clearly.
      1. Any number is itself to the power 1 [ x = x^1]
      2. When multiplying powers of a number, the exponents add [ x^2 * x^4 = x^6]
      3. When dividing powers of a number, the exponents subtract [ x^5 / x^3 = x^2]
      4. So x^1 / x^1 = x^0. Any number divided by itself is 1, so x^0 = 1 for all x *except 0*, because division by zero is undefined. However, the convention among mathematicians is *to choose* that 0^0 = 1 because it is convenient to do so.

    • @davidorozco1474
      @davidorozco1474 7 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      thank you very much for your expanation, i didnt knew how to translate "to the power" but now i can understand that, thanks again

  • @PlasmaHH
    @PlasmaHH 8 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    I don't find that very surprising, the sequences of numbers are neither distributed evenly, nor are they independent. They are representations of groups of properties people came up with, often leading to similar properties and series, thus establishing a dependence. What this really means is that for those numbers that are in the lower band, we have simply not yet found classes of "interesting" sequences yet.

    • @katzen3314
      @katzen3314 8 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      That still doesn't really explain the gap though, just that there should be a range of numbers.

    • @dans7934
      @dans7934 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      +Dennis Lubert I agree - that's the cultural bias. The easiest way to 'fix' the distribution is to add a second set of sequences which are the inverse of the others - add those into the distribution and it would flatline at 2x the current number of sequences. Which demonstrates the artificial nature of analysis of a very limited sample set, although the bias is valid.

  • @ColeslawProd
    @ColeslawProd 8 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Sloan is integerist.
    As a 256, I feel offended.

    • @vgamerul4617
      @vgamerul4617 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Huh

    • @jbt-qu6lm
      @jbt-qu6lm 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@vgamerul4617
      It's a play on the "triggered" meme, which is centered around mocking "SJWs", leftists/intersectionalists, LGBA people, and trans people as irrational and discrediting their complaints about issues which affect them, such as misgendering, mockery of poor people or minorities, stereotyping and mockery of LGBT people, and so-forth.

  • @gevillgar
    @gevillgar 6 ปีที่แล้ว

    It would be nice to see an evolution of that graph through the years as new sequences are discovered and added to the encyclopedia. I wonder if that gap is evidence of a particular set of sequences to be taken into account.

  • @Zet237yt
    @Zet237yt 8 ปีที่แล้ว

    I love how the paper is set in the font Computer Modern, which is the default font of LaTeX, the typeset language/program most scientists seem to write their papers in. :D

  • @mcquizzer106
    @mcquizzer106 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Also, the curve is a zipf

    • @KnakuanaRka
      @KnakuanaRka 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Zipf's law has an exponent of 1, while this one is 1.33.

  • @spudhead169
    @spudhead169 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    There's an abnormally popular number in the early 4000's what is that? 4192 i'd guess.

    • @jeffo9396
      @jeffo9396 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I was wondering that too. Although it looks like it comes slightly before 4192. I'm thinking it might be 4096, which is 2^12, 4^6, 8^4, 16^3, and 64^2
      There's another popular one that comes slightly after 5000.

    • @spudhead169
      @spudhead169 7 ปีที่แล้ว

      +Jeff O yeah. that's more likely. a perfect square number is gonna crop up a lot.

    • @filipswat9532
      @filipswat9532 7 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      5040's got a lot going for it.

  • @pacogoatboy
    @pacogoatboy 10 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    A geometric version (can't post it, you'll just have to imagine):
    Take a grid that is x by x units. It has an area of x^2.
    Remove the top row. You now have a rectangular grid that is (x-1) by x.
    Turn the loose row 90 degrees and stick it on either side as a new column. You now have a rectangular grid that is (x-1) by (x+1) with 1 additional square sticking up. Its area would be (x-1)(x+1) + 1
    So since no squares were ever added or removed:
    x^2 = (x-1)(x+1) + 1
    or
    x^2 -1 = (x-1)(x+1)

  • @pacogoatboy
    @pacogoatboy 10 ปีที่แล้ว

    This is something that is usually covered in algebra I in the US and used very frequently thereafter. It is a particular quadratic equation that can be easily factored, as you have found. As others have probably noted, there is a more general form:
    x^2 - y^2 = (x + y) (x - y)
    If you use the distributive property to multiply the two parts together, you get:
    (X + Y) (X - Y) = X^2 + XY - XY - Y^2 = X^2 - Y^2

  • @siddmohanty6116
    @siddmohanty6116 8 ปีที่แล้ว +60

    frikkin pleb numbers git gud scrubs

  • @VenomFrogPwned
    @VenomFrogPwned 8 ปีที่แล้ว +47

    I'm homy

    • @Paulygon
      @Paulygon 8 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      Home sweet home

    • @VenomFrogPwned
      @VenomFrogPwned 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      huh

    • @Paulygon
      @Paulygon 8 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Lol not homy anymore now, huh? XD

    • @404killer
      @404killer 8 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      +Paulygon venomfrog is so funny eh

    • @vgamerul4617
      @vgamerul4617 5 ปีที่แล้ว

      Oh -yeah- _yeah_

  • @darcgibson5099
    @darcgibson5099 8 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Ah man, this made me nostalgic for school... How could this be? Am I damaged?

  • @chonchjohnch
    @chonchjohnch 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I love finding a sequence that isn’t in OEIS