David Wehlau (RMC & Queen’s University)
Date
Thursday April 6, 20235:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Location
Jeffery Hall, Room 118Math Club
Thursday, April 6th, 2023
Time: 5:30 p.m. Place: Jeffery Hall, Room 118
Speaker: David Wehlau (RMC & Queen’s University)
Title: Proofs from the Book
Abstract: The Hungarian Mathematician Paul Erdös (1913-1996) was one of the top mathematicians of the past century. He published more mathematical articles during his lifetime than anyone else in history. He did this by being utterly consumed by mathematics to the exclusion of all else.
Erdös believed that every mathematical result had one best, most elegant proof and that such proofs were recorded in one volume, known to Erdös as ``The Book''. I will describe some of Erdös' life and explain a few proofs that may be in The Book. I will start with the question: If $a$ and $b$ are irrational can $a^b$ be rational? There is an answer to this question that I believe belongs in The Book.