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Who proved 2+2=4?
What scientist essentially proved that math was not a concept, but actually existed as a law and that 2+2 really did equal four and not just as a concept. I remember that he essentially went insane after his discovery, his friends saying he never was the same after the discovery.
2 Answers
- ?Lv 67 years ago
" that 2+2 really did equal four and not just as a concept"
Well, that's just wrong. Numbers are just concepts as are the rules we use to manipulate them.
1+1=2 is a concept that is the logical result of more fundamental concepts called "axioms" in conjunction with accepted rules of inference. You can verify this for yourself by looking at absolutely any proof of 1+1=2, e.g. the one the first poster gave.
Moreover, there are other senses of addition for which 1+1 does not equal 2, but these result from assuming different axioms to be true.
Source(s): applied mathematician - Anonymous7 years ago
1 + 1 = 2. Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell proved it in Principia Mathematica, on the final page. It's the longest proof of 1 + 1 = 2 known.
It's not really a discovery, the steps are known. It's just a lot of hard work to put together.
If you don't mind a shorter version, here's one in the source. If you're not used to abstract algebra, this might go over your head. Even if you are used to it, this will still go over your head. It goes over mine. Have fun!
Source(s): http://tachyos.org/godel/1+1=2.html