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From: inc@fluke.UUCP (Gary Benson)
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: The number 1729.
Message-ID: <693@tpvax.fluke.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 9-Sep-85 21:11:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: tpvax.693
Posted: Mon Sep  9 21:11:16 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 12-Sep-85 21:37:21 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Lines: 32

*** INTENTIONAL EXO-ASTERISKS ***


A few weeks back, someone posted a problem about the number 1729.
One of the characters in the story avers that the number is interesting
because it's the smallest number that can be written as the sum of two cubes
in two different ways.

Please, can you tell me what it means to write a sum in different ways? I
read net.math with only an inkling of understanding, so forgive my abysmal
ignorance.

Also, the person asked if a number exists that can be written as the sum of
two cubes in three different ways, and I was wondering how that would be
found? Can a formula (or computer program) be written that will find it
based only on the scant information given?

One last thing, while I'm on the topic of numbers: someone told me once that
the number 42 has some special mathematical significance, but I forget what
it is. It is the answer a computer named "Deep Thought" gave to the
question, "What is the meaning of life, the universe and everything?" in the
novel _Hitchhikers_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_. Does anyone know why the author
chose this number? Or what it's mathematical significance might be?

Thanks --



-- 
 Gary Benson  *  John Fluke Mfg. Co.  *  PO Box C9090  *  Everett WA  *  98206
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