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From: wilber@aludra.usc.edu (John Wilber)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Theoretical computer scientists know a thing or two
Summary: Assertions about P<>NP
Keywords: theory
Message-ID: <12306@chaph.usc.edu>
Date: 2 Oct 90 21:01:38 GMT
References: <409@pirates.UUCP> <12235@chaph.usc.edu> <260@geocub.greco-prog.fr>
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In article <260@geocub.greco-prog.fr> bond@geocub.greco-prog.fr (Johny Bond) writes:
>In article <12235@chaph.usc.edu> wilber@aludra.usc.edu (John Wilber) writes:

>> And it's not the mathematicians who write any of the programs that make
>> the technology work.  I doubt that many of them know or that ANY of them
>> care that P<>NP.  You can write anything you want without that knowledge.
>		    ===============================

>   As a theoretical computer scientist, I hope, not even one from our student
>will make such an assertion ...

I don't doubt that as a CS theorist you would hope your students would not
make such assertions.  The IMPORTANT question is if it is true or not.
Are you trapped in such an ivory tower that you cannot tell (at least)
that this is not self-evidently false?  I stand by my earlier statement.