I could be wrong, but I thought Goldbach's conjecture was that every even number could be expressed as the sum of *two* primes. This doesn't prohibit repetition. Therefore, under Goldbach's conjecture: 4 -> 2 + 2 6 -> 3 + 3 but NOT 2 + 2 + 2 8 -> 5 + 3 but NOT 2 + 2 + 2 etc... But I am a lowly freshman, so what do I know... Blake Buzzini, PSU -----Original Message----- From: owner-cypherpunks@algebra.com [mailto:owner-cypherpunks@algebra.com] On Behalf Of Jim Choate Sent: Thursday, November 19, 1998 7:34 PM To: Cypherpunks Distributed Remailer Subject: Goldbach's Conjecture If we go with the flow and exclude 1 (so we don't have to rewrite all our theorems) and assume that all even numbers greater than 2 can be represented as a sum of two prime factors we have a problem... How does one sum 4? 2 + 2? We certainly can't use 3 + 1. If we allow repetition *and* the number 2 as a prime then all even numbers can be written as a string of 2's summed appropriately. ____________________________________________________________________ Lawyers ask the wrong questions when they don't want the right answers. Scully (X-Files) The Armadillo Group ,::////;::-. James Choate Austin, Tx /:'///// ``::>/|/ ravage@ssz.com www.ssz.com .', |||| `/( e\ 512-451-7087 -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'- --------------------------------------------------------------------