# Looking for an old thread - some guy with a mathematical equation he proved **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 20, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-old-thread-some-guy-with-a-mathematical-equation-he-proved/807061 "2018-01-20T18:03:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-old-thread-some-guy-with-a-mathematical-equation-he-proved/807061/1 "2018-01-20T18:03:16Z")
I’m looking for a thread a few years back, started by a fellow who believed he had proved a theorem (if I recall correctly) about Diophantine equations - something about n terms in the m-degree having x solutions. He never was quite clear about what his claim was all about, though. Anyone recall this one? P.S. It’s not this (similar sounding) thread [Cecil Adams, Don Blazys and A Chance To Help. - Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=633014) which is titled " Cecil Adams, Don Blazys and A Chance To Help." which is all about a proof that the mathematical community is scared to publish. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-old-thread-some-guy-with-a-mathematical-equation-he-proved/807061/2 "2018-01-20T18:52:39Z")
Found it [https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=609688&page=2](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=609688&page=2) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-old-thread-some-guy-with-a-mathematical-equation-he-proved/807061/3 "2018-01-20T19:33:26Z")
Great work **Andy L**. Once again someone asks the Dope for some info and you swoop in and find for them in no time and… Hey! Hold on a second… ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-old-thread-some-guy-with-a-mathematical-equation-he-proved/807061/4 "2018-01-20T21:37:58Z")
I know the point is moot now that you found the thread you were looking for… …but I just can’t help myself. That thread is nothing whatsoever like the description you posted. I’m glad that people aren’t spending time on a totally futile exercise. That’s it. I’m glad it worked out. I realize you can’t remember things you can’t remember. Mostly I think I’m amazed this doesn’t happen more often and that communication actually occurs 99% of the time. Brains are weird. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-old-thread-some-guy-with-a-mathematical-equation-he-proved/807061/5 "2018-01-20T23:06:25Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I know the point is moot now that you found the thread you were looking for… > > …but I just can’t help myself. > > That thread is nothing whatsoever like the description you posted. I’m glad that people aren’t spending time on a totally futile exercise. > > That’s it. I’m glad it worked out. I realize you can’t remember things you can’t remember. Mostly I think I’m amazed this doesn’t happen more often and that communication actually occurs 99% of the time. Brains are weird. It doesn’t start that way, but by the time MLA gets going, he is talking (incoherently) about the number of solutions to some kind of equation. But yeah, I should have remembered that it started as a discussion of Fermat’s theorem ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-an-old-thread-some-guy-with-a-mathematical-equation-he-proved/807061/6 "2018-01-20T23:07:55Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Great work **Andy L**. Once again someone asks the Dope for some info and you swoop in and find for them in no time and… Hey! Hold on a second… The Board helps those who help themselves…