# XKCD: Mathematicians Discuss... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 16, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094 "2011-05-16T15:20:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/21 "2011-05-16T18:15:09Z")
[quote=“Tom\_Scud, post:16, topic:582094”] The way I’ve heard it is: Proofs that all odd numbers are prime: Physicist: 1 is prime[li], 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is experimental error, 11 is prime…[/li] Mathematician: 1 is prime, 3 is prime, 5 is prime. Therefore all numbers by extension are prime. Engineer: 1 is prime, 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is prime, 11 is prime… [li] yes, I know that 1 is a special case and not really prime.[/li][/QUOTE] Computer programmer: 1 is prime, 1 is prime, 1 is prime, 1 is prime… ---
**Author:** ![raspberry\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@raspberry\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raspberry_hunter)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/22 "2011-05-16T18:25:03Z")
[quote=“Tom\_Scud, post:16, topic:582094”] The way I’ve heard it is: Proofs that all odd numbers are prime: Physicist: 1 is prime[li], 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is experimental error, 11 is prime…[/li] Mathematician: 1 is prime, 3 is prime, 5 is prime. Therefore all numbers by extension are prime. Engineer: 1 is prime, 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is prime, 11 is prime… [li] yes, I know that 1 is a special case and not really prime.[/li][/QUOTE] Oh, yeah, sorry, I wasn’t thinking when I wrote that. Thanks for elaborating 🙂 I was thinking of the English Major part of the joke I once heard: “1 is prime, 2 is prime, 3 is prime, 4 is prime… what?” ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/23 "2011-05-16T18:32:35Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Yeh, GIRD, I have no idea. It’s at 3.5 on the line. I think it’s saying that “gird” is supposed to be a number which is accepted by the “orthodox” community as a legitimate number. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/24 "2011-05-16T18:33:00Z")
Concerning “Gird”, I’m thinking the joke here is that it’s the name/symbol of another integer only recognized by a sect of “orthodox mathematicians”, since it’s not at 3.5, but is where 4 should actually be. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/25 "2011-05-16T18:34:49Z")
Whoa! Simulpost. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/26 "2011-05-16T18:54:24Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > That particular joke is just making fun of the fact that numbers are infinite, so the list on Wikipedia will never be exhaustive. It’s also pretty funny that Wikipedia suggests that you could “help” by expanding the list, since expanding the list won’t help it get any closer to complete, nor will it make it a more useful page. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/27 "2011-05-16T19:40:44Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I don’t see what’s not to get about the actual graph, though. It’s Troll Mathematics. I mean, negative “imitator” numbers? Site of battle of 4.108? Largest even prime? None of those have any basis in truth, he’s just making up vaguely plausible but non-existent “facts”. This is how I interpreted it. And I thought it was funny. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/28 "2011-05-16T20:48:28Z")
> [@Cryptic\_C62](#): > > As I said, the largest number I’ve heard used in a real discussion of mathematics was 7. The key words are “heard”, meaning I actually listened to mathematicians speaking with their mouths, and “real”, meaning that it had some basis in legitimate mathematical research, not trivial nonsense or computer science problems. If you really think that the sporadic groups, and the monster in particular, are “trivial nonsense”, I don’t know what to tell you. You might want to read [an actual mathematician’s account](http://www.amazon.com/Symmetry-Monster-Greatest-Quests-Mathematics/dp/0192807234/) of its important in “legitimate mathematical research”. Edit: Also, Ramsey theory as computer science? ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/29 "2011-05-17T01:06:08Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > I think it’s saying that “gird” is supposed to be a number which is accepted by the “orthodox” community as a legitimate number. I thought that might be a reference to Orthodox (e.g. Greek and Russian) Christianity, which have a larger Bible canon (i.e. their bible has more books) than other Christians. Postscript: The gird symbol even looks like a Christian ichthys (Jesus fish) symbol. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/30 "2011-05-17T01:13:03Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I thought that might be a reference to Orthodox (e.g. Greek and Russian) Christianity, which have a larger Bible canon (i.e. their bible has more books) than other Christians. > > Postscript: The gird symbol even looks like a Christian ichthys (Jesus fish) symbol. Noticed the same thing about the symbol. I think that’s just another layer to that particular gag. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/31 "2011-05-17T01:14:59Z")
> [@Punoqllads](#): > > Computer programmer: 1 is prime, 1 is prime, 1 is prime, 1 is prime… 1 is prime. 3 is prime. 5 is prime. 7 is prime. Segmentation Fault. Core Dumped. > **[Prime and odd numbers](http://www.gdargaud.net/Humor/OddPrime.html)** > > How to prove that all odd numbers are prime numbers. > **[Casino Slot Oyunlari](https://midnafanforum.com/?topic=30560.0%3Bwap2)** > > Canlı casino ve slotlar, gerçekçi oyun deneyimi, heyecan verici bonuslar ve eşsiz kazançlar seni bekliyor! Also based on something I read years ago: Lawyer: 1, 3, and 5 are prime. 9 may or may not be prime, depending on the witnesses’ testimonies and the physical evidence presented. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/32 "2011-05-17T01:21:00Z")
Actually, in my business, I find that FIVE is the Number Of The Lie. “I’ve called you guys five times” “You’ve replace my hardware five times” Whenever someone tells me ‘five times’, I know they’re full of shit. Even before I check the records and find that they’re indeed full of shit. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/33 "2011-05-17T03:11:49Z")
> [@](#): > > The phi comment: you sometimes see people invoking the “Golden Ratio” whenever they want to make some sort of floofy New Age=y sort of point that involves numbers. I suspect that most folks know about this one, but for the sake of completeness… There are people who see the “golden ratio” _phi_ everywhere, claiming that i’s the “favorite rectangle”, that it lies at the root of the logarithmic spiral and the Fibonacci numbers. Golden rectangles supposedly show up all over the place - including the Parthenon (Disney’s cartoon short _Donald in Mathemagicland_ helped promote this idea), and sunflower seeds are supposedly bracketed by logarithmic spirals swirling inopposite directions, with adjacent Fibonacci numbers of spirals in the two directions. In reality, the idea of the “most pleasing rectangle” is pretty unfounded (I note that most common rectangular objects – paperback books, credit cards, movie theater screens, etc. aren’t golden rectangles. And the “research” purporting to show the golden rectangle “most pleasing” has been effectively discredited). A lot of folks now believe that the spirals in sunflower heads and suchlike are better described by other curves and processes, and so on. Phi enthusiasts are knda the new Pyramid Believers, which explains the line “Wait, Come Back! I have Facts!” ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/34 "2011-05-17T03:21:01Z")
[quote=“Tom\_Scud, post:16, topic:582094”] The way I’ve heard it is: Proofs that all odd numbers are prime: Physicist: 1 is prime[li], 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is experimental error, 11 is prime…[/li] Mathematician: 1 is prime, 3 is prime, 5 is prime. Therefore all numbers by extension are prime. Engineer: 1 is prime, 3 is prime, 5 is prime, 7 is prime, 9 is prime, 11 is prime… [li] yes, I know that 1 is a special case and not really prime.[/li][/QUOTE] Philosopher: 3 is prime. 3 is an odd number. Therefore all odd numbers are prime. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/35 "2011-05-17T04:17:54Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > I suspect that most folks know about this one, but for the sake of completeness… > There are people who see the “golden ratio” _phi_ everywhere, claiming that i’s the “favorite rectangle”, that it lies at the root of the logarithmic spiral and the Fibonacci numbers. Golden rectangles supposedly show up all over the place - including the Parthenon (Disney’s cartoon short _Donald in Mathemagicland_ helped promote this idea), and sunflower seeds are supposedly bracketed by logarithmic spirals swirling inopposite directions, with adjacent Fibonacci numbers of spirals in the two directions. In reality, the idea of the “most pleasing rectangle” is pretty unfounded (I note that most common rectangular objects – paperback books, credit cards, movie theater screens, etc. aren’t golden rectangles. And the “research” purporting to show the golden rectangle “most pleasing” has been effectively discredited). A lot of folks now believe that the spirals in sunflower heads and suchlike are better described by other curves and processes, and so on. Phi enthusiasts are knda the new Pyramid Believers, which explains the line “Wait, Come Back! I have Facts!” Yupp. As a graphic designer for a long while, I was commissioned to create a logo for a four-lettered corporation about 7 or 8 years ago. For self-amusement, I decided to use the golden ratio for each letter, as well as the letter thickness. While I thought it turned out nice, I can’t say it was any better than any other logo I’d done before or since just based off eyeballing and a sense of balance. Although, I will say, the client didn’t request any changes, and went with my first attempt. It happens, but not often. It’s an intriguing ratio, none-the-less. In an industry such as mine, aspect ratios seem so arbitrary sometimes… it can be more fun/interesting for the designer to make something out of a ratio determined by a mathematical constant. At least for me. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/36 "2011-05-17T04:43:40Z")
I interpreted the joke as him having seen where the Wiki page says, “You can help by expanding the list,” and thus made up a bunch of mathematical “facts” to add to the page, none of which are actually true. I.e., it’s a joke about Wikipedia’s fallibility, incorporating some fairly esoteric math-gags. (Some of which I didn’t get.) I could be totally misreading it. But I laughed. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/37 "2011-05-17T06:32:50Z")
Any joke that needs this much explanation isn’t funny at all. I normally love XKCD even when I don’t fully understand it, like the joke about the [Erdös number](http://xkcd.com/599/) and I have to look it up but this one is awful. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/38 "2011-05-17T13:31:55Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I don’t see what’s not to get about the actual graph, though. It’s Troll Mathematics. I mean, negative “imitator” numbers? Site of battle of 4.108? Largest even prime? None of those have any basis in truth, he’s just making up vaguely plausible but non-existent “facts”. This. No need to overthink this folks. In fact, that’s part of the joke - he’s pulling your leg. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/39 "2011-05-17T14:13:35Z")
> [@Cryptic\_C62](#): > > and “real”, meaning that it had some basis in legitimate mathematical research, not trivial nonsense or computer science problems. It may be old news now, but at the time, nailing down the universe of finite simple groups was a big fucking deal, as Joe Biden would say if he were a mathematician. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094/40 "2011-05-17T14:22:42Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > This. No need to overthink this folks. In fact, that’s part of the joke - he’s pulling your leg. Yes, there is no reason to overthink it: It really is just a collection of uncreative, unfunny “made up facts.” I can’t imagine the author thought it was funny either. .99… doesn’t equal 1. Hahahaha! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/xkcd-mathematicians-discuss/582094.md?page=3)