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Forum URL: http://www.cut-the-knot.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/forumctk.cgi
Forum Name: This and that
Topic ID: 772
Message ID: 7
#7, RE: Pythagorean Theorem Incomplete?
Posted by Ergo on Jul-04-07 at 11:24 PM
In response to message #6
The essence of mathematics is stating concepts PRECISELY.

Until one can specify PRECISELY what s/he means, s/he doesn't (in any meaningful psychological sense) KNOW what s/he means.

That's why it's often said )in non-math contexts) that once a question is stated precisely it contains its own answer.

Take the time to write, in complete grammatical sentences, in English, the proposition that you are asserting. At that point those able to "do the math" will be able to respond accurately to the hypothesis.

(alexb: cf. the start of Polya's algorithm for problem solving)