Science
Tree of Three Number So Large Even Two Trillion Pages Cannot Prove Its Existence
Theories of Everything
The Genius Who Invented Reverse Mathematics
What was said
"You can't prove it exists without using 2 to the 1 trillion pieces of paper. That doesn't mean that it's bigger than 2 to the trillion. It's incredibly bigger than that. Even with 2 trillion pieces of paper, you're not even proving it exists."
The number TREE(3), derived from Kruskal's theorem about infinite sequences of finite trees, is so incomprehensibly large that even with computational resources using 2 to the trillion pages of proof, its existence cannot be demonstrated within standard arithmetic. Graham's number is minuscule by comparison, barely noticeable next to TREE(3).
Verification status
Attributed speaker claim
Egleze verified who said this and where. The underlying claim has not been independently established by Egleze.
Source and context
Egleze verified who said this and where. The underlying claim has not been independently established by Egleze.
- Programme
- Theories of Everything
- Episode
- The Genius Who Invented Reverse Mathematics
- Clip time
- 41:49
- Original source
- Watch the source segment →
From this episode
Theories of Everything