Difference between revisions of "Talk:1208: Footnote Labyrinths"

Explain xkcd: It's 'cause you're dumb.
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(Question, alternative explination: new section)
(Question, alternative explination)
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I wasn't really satisfied with the whole discarding of the infinite loop, so I worked through the problem seperately using the nested footnotes. Then, when we hit the infinite loop I split between the two possible answers (either the infinite loop ends on true or false). As I read it, they both get the same answer:
 
I wasn't really satisfied with the whole discarding of the infinite loop, so I worked through the problem seperately using the nested footnotes. Then, when we hit the infinite loop I split between the two possible answers (either the infinite loop ends on true or false). As I read it, they both get the same answer:
  
no (3)
+
no (3)
no (not true (5))
+
no (not true (5))
no (not true (true (2 < 6 < 3))
+
no (not true (true (2 < 6 < 3))
no (not true (true (2 < 6 < (not true))))
+
no (not true (true (2 < 6 < (not true))))
no (not true (true (2 < (actually 1 < 2 < 2 (not true 3 < 2)))))
+
no (not true (true (2 < (actually 1 < 2 < 2 (not true 3 < 2)))))
no (not true (true (2 < (actually 1 < 2 < 2 (not true (5)))))
+
no (not true (true (2 < (actually 1 < 2 < 2 (not true (5)))))
  
Split!
+
Split!
If 6 is false (infinite loop possibility)
+
If 6 is false (infinite loop possibility)
no (3 < 5 < 2)
+
no (3 < 5 < 2)
no (not true (7)) - meaningless, so discard
+
no (not true (7)) - meaningless, so discard
no (not true)
+
no (not true)
  
If 6 is true (infinite loop possibility)
+
If 6 is true (infinite loop possibility)
no (3 < 5 < 1 < 2 < 2)
+
no (3 < 5 < 1 < 2 < 2)
no (3 < 5 < 1 < 4)
+
no (3 < 5 < 1 < 4)
no (3 < 5 < 1)
+
no (3 < 5 < 1)
no (3)
+
no (3)  
no (not true)
+
no (not true)
  
 
Both lead to the answer "... experiments to observe this and we found evidence for it in our data".
 
Both lead to the answer "... experiments to observe this and we found evidence for it in our data".

Revision as of 15:04, 6 May 2013

Way to nerd-snipe me, Randall. Alpha (talk) 04:52, 6 May 2013 (UTC)

In the nested-footnotes interpretation, 5 has to be ignored: The 6 must be true, and the 6 says that it’s “actually a 1”, but with footnote 2+2 which says “ibid.” and thus equals footnote 3, which is true. So 6 really does mean actually a 1, which leaves 5 to be ignored. --77.186.8.191 10:47, 6 May 2013 (UTC)

The footnote for 6 is actually 1 to the 2 to the 2 Schmammel (talk) 12:36, 6 May 2013 (UTC)

Explaination is wrong : abc = a(bc) = ab^c (confer the definition of a gogol = 10^100 = 10102, and a gogolplex = 10^gogol = 10(10100), not 10^110. So since 1^2= 1, No12 really means No1.

Question, alternative explination

I wasn't really satisfied with the whole discarding of the infinite loop, so I worked through the problem seperately using the nested footnotes. Then, when we hit the infinite loop I split between the two possible answers (either the infinite loop ends on true or false). As I read it, they both get the same answer:

no (3) no (not true (5)) no (not true (true (2 < 6 < 3)) no (not true (true (2 < 6 < (not true)))) no (not true (true (2 < (actually 1 < 2 < 2 (not true 3 < 2))))) no (not true (true (2 < (actually 1 < 2 < 2 (not true (5)))))

Split! If 6 is false (infinite loop possibility) no (3 < 5 < 2) no (not true (7)) - meaningless, so discard no (not true)

If 6 is true (infinite loop possibility) no (3 < 5 < 1 < 2 < 2) no (3 < 5 < 1 < 4) no (3 < 5 < 1) no (3) no (not true)

Both lead to the answer "... experiments to observe this and we found evidence for it in our data".