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55 votes
6 answers
7k views

Is it possible to partition $\mathbb R^3$ into unit circles?

Is it possible to partition $\mathbb R^3$ into unit circles?
Zarathustra's user avatar
  • 1,404
53 votes
4 answers
6k views

Are the rationals homeomorphic to any power of the rationals?

I asked myself, which spaces have the property that $X^2$ is homeomorphic to $X$. I started to look at some examples like $\mathbb{N}^2 \cong \mathbb{N}$, $\mathbb{R}^2\ncong \mathbb{R}, C^2\cong C$ (...
HenrikRüping's user avatar
51 votes
1 answer
6k views

Does $2^X=2^Y\Rightarrow |X|=|Y|$ imply the axiom of choice?

The Generalized Continuum Hypothesis can be stated as $2^{\aleph_\alpha}=\aleph_{\alpha+1}$. We know that GCH implies AC (Jech, The Axiom of Choice, Theorem 9.1 p.133). In fact, a relatively weak ...
Asaf Karagila's user avatar
  • 38.1k
51 votes
4 answers
17k views

How hard is it to compute the number of prime factors of a given integer?

I asked a related question on this mathoverflow thread. That question was promptly answered. This is a natural followup question to that one, which I decided to repost since that question is answered. ...
Rune's user avatar
  • 2,386
50 votes
15 answers
11k views

Explicit computations using the Haar measure

This question is somewhat related to my previous one on Grassmanians. The few times I've encountered the Haar measure in the course of my mathematical education, it's always been used in a very ...
Thierry Zell's user avatar
  • 4,536
48 votes
8 answers
8k views

When are there enough projective sheaves on a space X?

This question is being asked on behalf of a colleague of mine. Let $X$ be a topological space. It is well known that the abelian category of sheaves on $X$ has enough injectives: that is, every ...
Pete L. Clark's user avatar
48 votes
4 answers
4k views

Are there primes of every Hamming weight?

Are there primes of every Hamming weight? That is, for every integer $n \in \mathbb{Z}_{>0}$ does there exist a prime which is the sum of $n$ distinct powers of $2$? In this case, the Hamming ...
dakota's user avatar
  • 583
47 votes
5 answers
5k views

The resultant and the ideal generated by two polynomials in $\mathbb{Z}[x]$

I was asked the following question by a colleague and was embarrassed not to know the answer. Let $f(x), g(x) \in \mathbb{Z}[x]$ with no root in common. Let $I = (f(x),g(x))\cap \mathbb{Z}$, that is, ...
Felipe Voloch's user avatar
47 votes
1 answer
3k views

improving known bounds for Pierce expansions; cash prize

Here's a problem that I thought of back in 1978 or so, and only a little progress has been made on it since then. I still think about it from time to time, but probably not that many people have ...
Jeffrey Shallit's user avatar
47 votes
7 answers
14k views

Classification of (compact) Lie groups

I would like to study/understand the (complete) classification of compact lie groups. I know there are a lot of books on this subject, but I'd like to hear what's the best route I can follow (in your ...
46 votes
5 answers
4k views

Are the two meanings of "undecidable" related?

I am usually confused by questions of the type "could such and such a problem be undecidable", because as far as I know there are two distinct possible meanings of "undecidable". ...
John Pardon's user avatar
  • 18.3k
45 votes
4 answers
8k views

Does the fact that this vector space is not isomorphic to its double-dual require choice?

Let $V$ denote the vector space of sequences of real numbers that are eventually 0, and let $W$ denote the vector space of sequences of real numbers. Given $w \in W$ and $v \in V$, we can take their "...
Amit Kumar Gupta's user avatar
44 votes
11 answers
25k views

Algorithm for finding the volume of a convex polytope

It's easy to find the area of a convex polygon by division into triangles, but what is the optimal way of finding the volume of higher-dimensional convex bodies? I tried a few methods for dividing ...
Xerxes's user avatar
  • 441
42 votes
7 answers
11k views

On starting graduate school and common pitfalls...

Hi, I'll be starting graduate school soon, and when I look back at my college career, there are certain things I wish I could have done differently. In hindsight, I wished I wasn't in such a rush to ...
42 votes
3 answers
5k views

The probability for a symmetric matrix to be positive definite

Let me give a reasonable model for the question in the title. In ${\rm Sym}_n({\mathbb R})$, the positive definite matrices form a convex cone $S_n^+$. The probability I have in mind is the ratio $p_n=...
Denis Serre's user avatar
  • 51.5k
42 votes
3 answers
2k views

Are there "real" vs. "quaternionic" conjugacy classes in finite groups?

The complex irreps of a finite group come in three types: self-dual by a symmetric form, self-dual by a symplectic form, and not self-dual at all. In the first two cases, the character is real-valued, ...
Allen Knutson's user avatar
40 votes
5 answers
10k views

Is there a natural measures on the space of measurable functions?

Given a set Ω and a σ-algebra F of subsets, is there some natural way to assign something like a "uniform" measure on the space of all measurable functions on this space? (I suppose first ...
Kenny Easwaran's user avatar
39 votes
3 answers
5k views

Is there a computable model of ZFC?

Background Assuming ZFC is consistent, then by downward Löwenheim–Skolem, there is a countable model (M,$\in$) of ZFC. Since the universe M is countable, we may as well think of it as actually being ...
skeptical scientist's user avatar
39 votes
6 answers
7k views

A remark of Connes on non-standard analysis

In an interview (at http://www.alainconnes.org/docs/Inteng.pdf) Connes remarks that I had been working on non-standard analysis, but after a while I had found a catch in the theory.... The point is ...
Robert Haraway's user avatar
37 votes
8 answers
11k views

How does one motivate the analytic continuation of the Riemann zeta function?

I saw the functional equation and its proof for the Riemann zeta function many times, but usually the books start with, e.g. tricky change of variable of Gamma function or other seemingly unmotivated ...
36min's user avatar
  • 3,758
35 votes
3 answers
10k views

The deep significance of the question of the Mandelbrot set's local connectedness?

I am given to understand that the celebrated open problem (MLC) of the Mandelbrot set's local connectness has broader and deeper significance deeper than some mere curiosity of point-set topology. ...
David Feldman's user avatar
35 votes
3 answers
2k views

Internal logic of the topos of simplicial sets

I am looking for a closed statement (i.e. not depending on any parameter objects) which is true in the internal logic of the topos of simplicial sets, but is not an intuitionistic tautology. Ideally, ...
Mike Shulman's user avatar
34 votes
6 answers
3k views

Compactification theorem for differentiable manifolds ?

Just parallelling this question, that seemed not to admit an easy answer at all, let's "soft down" the category and ask the same thing in the case of $\mathcal{C}^{\infty}$-differentiable manifolds [...
Qfwfq's user avatar
  • 22.7k
34 votes
2 answers
2k views

Examples of finite groups with "good" bijection(s) between conjugacy classes and irreducible representations?

For symmetric group conjugacy classes and irreducible representation both are parametrized by Young diagramms, so there is a kind of "good" bijection between the two sets. For general finite groups ...
Alexander Chervov's user avatar
34 votes
3 answers
4k views

Is there a ring of integers except for Z, such that every extension of it is ramified?

This is probably common knowledge, alas I have to confess my ignorance. In simpler more abstract language, does $\mathcal{O}_K$ being simply connected (having trivial etale $\pi_1$) imply $\mathcal{O}...
James D. Taylor's user avatar
34 votes
4 answers
8k views

Why are the integers with the cofinite topology not path-connected?

An apparently elementary question that bugs me for quite some time: (1) Why are the integers with the cofinite topology not path-connected? Recall that the open sets in the cofinite topology on a ...
Theo Buehler's user avatar
  • 5,703
32 votes
4 answers
6k views

Classification of finite groups of isometries

Consider the problem of classifying the finite groups of isometries of $\mathbb{R}^n$. For $n=2$ it is cyclic and dihedral groups. For $n=3$ they are well known, probably from Kepler and are related ...
Mathieu Dutour Sikiric's user avatar
28 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is the Golomb countable connected space topologically rigid?

The Golomb space $\mathbb G$ is the set of positive integers endowed with the topology generated by the base consisting of the arithmetic progressions $a+b\mathbb N_0$ with relatively prime $a,b$ and $...
Taras Banakh's user avatar
  • 40.8k
27 votes
2 answers
6k views

Countable connected Hausdorff space

Let me start by reminding two constructions of topological spaces with such exotic combination of properties: 1) The elements are non-zero integers; base of topology are (infinite) arithmetic ...
Fedor Petrov's user avatar
26 votes
5 answers
2k views

Are the 'semi' trivial zeros of $\zeta(s) \pm \zeta(1-s)$ all on the critical line?

The proof that $\Gamma(z)\pm \Gamma(1-z)$ only has zeros for $z \in \mathbb{R}$ or $z= \frac12 +i \mathbb{R}$ has been given here: Are all zeros of $\Gamma(s) \pm \Gamma(1-s)$ on a line with real ...
Agno's user avatar
  • 4,179
26 votes
2 answers
4k views

3D models of the unfoldings of the hypercube?

There are (apparently) 261 distinct unfoldings of the 4D hypercube, a.k.a., the tesseract, into 3D.1 These unfoldings (or "nets") are analogous to the 11 unfoldings of the 3D cube into the plane.2 ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
26 votes
4 answers
3k views

When $2^\alpha = 2^\beta$ implies $\alpha=\beta$ ($\alpha,\beta$ cardinals)

Sorry if this is a silly question. I was wondering, under what axioms of set theory is it true that if $\alpha$,$\beta$ are cardinals, and $2^\alpha=2^\beta$, then $\alpha=\beta$? Do people use these ...
Steve D's user avatar
  • 4,335
26 votes
5 answers
3k views

Nice applications for Schwartz distributions

I am to teach a second year grad course in analysis with focus on Schwartz distributions. Among the core topics I intend to cover are: Some multilinear algebra including the Kernel Theorem and ...
Abdelmalek Abdesselam's user avatar
22 votes
3 answers
5k views

Euler characteristic of a manifold and self-intersection

This is probably quite easy, but how do you show that the Euler characteristic of a manifold M (defined for example as the alternating sum of the dimensions of integral cohomology groups) is equal to ...
Sam Derbyshire's user avatar
22 votes
5 answers
7k views

Rational points on a sphere in $\mathbb{R}^d$

Call a point of $\mathbb{R}^d$ rational if all its $d$ coordinates are rational numbers. Q1. Are the rational points dense on the unit sphere $S :\; x_1^2 +\cdots+ x_d^2 = 1$, i.e. does $S$ ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
21 votes
4 answers
3k views

Is the Euler product formula always divergent for 0<Re(s)<1?

It is known that the Euler product formula converges for $\Re(s)>1$ (and there it represents the Riemann zeta function). My question: Is the Euler product always divergent for $0 < \Re(s) < ...
Seongsoo Choi's user avatar
21 votes
7 answers
2k views

Does every set admit a rigid binary relation? (and how is this related to the Axiom of Choice?)

Let us say that a set B admits a rigid binary relation, if there is a binary relation R such that the structure (B,R) has no nontrivial automorphisms. Under the Axiom of Choice, every set is well-...
Joel David Hamkins's user avatar
20 votes
6 answers
4k views

Erik Westzynthius's cool upper bound argument: update?

Version 2 of this writeup is available, and includes a newer and simple upper bound thanks to MathOverflow 88777 as well as indirect references to future writeups. Details of further work ...
Gerhard Paseman's user avatar
20 votes
2 answers
2k views

On a result attributed to W. Ljunggren and T. Nagell

I've read in a number of places that, building on previous work of T. Nagell, W. Ljunggren proved in 1 that the Diophantine equation $$\frac{x^{n}-1}{x-1} = y^{2}$$ doesn't admit solutions in ...
José Hdz. Stgo.'s user avatar
20 votes
1 answer
548 views

$q$-(and other)-analogs for counting index-$n$ subgroups in terms of Homs to $S_n$?

The following formula of astonishing beauty and power (imho): $$ \sum_{n \ge 0} \frac{| \mathrm{Hom}(G,S_n) | }{n! } z^n = \exp\left( \sum_{n \ge 1} \frac{|\text{Index}~n~\text{subgroups of}~ G|}nz^...
Alexander Chervov's user avatar
19 votes
9 answers
5k views

Forcing as a tool to prove theorems

It is often mentioned the main use of forcing is to prove independence facts, but it also seems a way to prove theorems. For instance how would one try to prove Erdös-Rado, $\beth_n^{+} \to (\aleph_1)...
Rachid Atmai's user avatar
  • 3,756
19 votes
3 answers
4k views

Pi1-sentence independent of ZF, ZF+Con(ZF), ZF+Con(ZF)+Con(ZF+Con(ZF)), etc.?

Let ZF1 = ZF, ZFk+1 = ZF + the assumption that ZF1,...,ZFk are consistent, ZFω = ZF + the assumption that ZFk is consistent for every positive integer k, ... and similarly define ZFα ...
Scott Aaronson's user avatar
18 votes
3 answers
6k views

Number of unique determinants for an NxN (0,1)-matrix

I'm interested in bounds for the number of unique determinants of NxN (0,1)-matrices. Obviously some of these matrices will be singular and therefore will trivially have zero determinant. While it ...
Ross Snider's user avatar
18 votes
5 answers
38k views

Eigenvalues of Symmetric Tridiagonal Matrices

Suppose I have the symmetric tridiagonal matrix: $ \begin{pmatrix} a & b_{1} & 0 & ... & 0 \\\ b_{1} & a & b_{2} & & ... \\\ 0 & b_{2} & a & ... & 0 \...
FlamingWilderbeest's user avatar
18 votes
2 answers
8k views

The canonical line bundle of a normal variety

I have heard that the canonical divisor can be defined on a normal variety X since the smooth locus has codimension 2. Then, I have heard as well that for ANY algebraic variety such that the canonical ...
Jesus Martinez Garcia's user avatar
17 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is known about the relationship between Fermat's last theorem and Peano Arithmetic?

As far as I know, whether Fermat's Last Theorem is provable in Peano Arithmetic is an open problem. What is known about this problem? In particular, what is known about the arithmetic systems $PA + \...
Christopher King's user avatar
16 votes
5 answers
7k views

General bound for the number of subgroups of a finite group

I am interested in the following: Let $G$ be a finite group of order $n$. Is there an explicit function $f$ such that $|s(G)| \leq f(n)$ for all $G$ and for all natural numbers $n$, where $s(G)$ ...
user avatar
14 votes
1 answer
2k views

totally ordered chain in the powerset with big cardinality

Let $B$ be some set. The problem is to find a set $A\subset\mathcal{P}(B)$ of subsets of $B$ which is totally ordered by inclusion and such that there exists a bijection $A\leftrightarrow \mathcal{P}(...
Toink's user avatar
  • 622
12 votes
1 answer
813 views

How are Sheffer polynomials related to Lie theory?

Sheffer polynomials $\{P_n(x)\}$ have generating function $P(x,t) = \sum_{n=0}^{\infty}P_n(x)t^n=A(t)e^{xu(t)}$. This form reminds me of the Lie group–Lie algebra correspondence. Is there any ...
Andrius Kulikauskas's user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
1k views

Is there a purely group-theoretic reformulation of an equivalence of subgroups?

There is an equivalence relation between inclusion of finite groups coming from the world of subfactors: Definition: $(H_{1} \subset G_{1}) \sim(H_{2} \subset G_{2})$ if $(R^{G_{1}} \subset R^{H_{1}}...
Sebastien Palcoux's user avatar

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