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Path: utzoo!mnetor!genat!maccs!leb
From: leb@maccs.UUCP (Anthony Hurst )
Newsgroups: comp.ai,sci.math.symbolic
Subject: P may indeed = NP !!
Message-ID: <761@maccs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 12-Sep-87 02:30:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: maccs.761
Posted: Sat Sep 12 02:30:36 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 13-Sep-87 01:34:55 EDT
Reply-To: leb@maccs.UUCP (Anthony (Tony) Hurst)
Distribution: world
Organization: DCSS, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Lines: 35
Keywords: polynomial time algorithms
Xref: mnetor comp.ai:759 sci.math.symbolic:147



I normally do not keep track of mathematics papers, but I happened
to notice an interesting news item that jumped right out at me.  It
was reported in a recent issue of the University of Guelph's "Alumnus"
magazine. (Guelph is in Ontario, Canada).

Included here are three excerpts from the authoress Mary Dickieson.
She writes:

"One of the most perplexing problems in computer science may have
been solved by Professor Ted Swart, who has a joint appointment in
the departments of Mathematics & Statistics and Computing & Infor-
mation Science.  He has written a paper offering proof that P = NP.
...

"Dr. Swart cautions that the jury is still out on whether his approach
will be proved or disproved by his peers, but already his pronouncement
has caused a stir in the computer world."
...

"Dr. Swart's problem establishes that the Hamilton circuit problem can
be solved in polynomial time by converting a mathematical programming
formulation of the problem into a linear programming formulation and
using existing polynomial time algorithms as established by Kachiyan
and Karmarkar."


What I should like to know is, has Swart's paper "caused a stir in
the computer world" and if not, why not?
-- 
seismo!mnetor!{genat,lsuc}!maccs!leb                   Anthony Hurst
McMaster Dept. of Comp. Sci. & Systems          (416)-525-9140 x4030

                                 Will there be cigarettes in heaven?