alt Hacker NewsReminds me of the proof that all natural numbers are interesting. If there is some set of uninteresting natural numbers, there must be a minimal element of that set. It being the smallest uninteresting number is interesting which is a contradiction.
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rzzzt • 06/16/2025
Why aren't all numbers in the set uninteresting? Did someone make a mistake when defining it?
Perhaps the minimal element should be removed from the set; there will be plenty of members that still remain.
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Tade0 • 06/16/2025
My algebra 101 professor made this exact argument.
Of course, it sort of a joke, and so having an element of surprise helps it. But really, the properties that make a number “interesting” should probably be defined from the outset. By including “the smallest member of any set is interesting,” at the start, the joke is kind of blown because the result becomes obvious, right?
Edit: oh, are there uninteresting reals?