How important is the problem of whether or not P=NP?

'jervis' on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:26:51 GMT, sez:

Dude!
You're missing a great opportunity.

Post this problem on mechanical turk:
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Wanted: Proof that P=NP.
I will pay: $999,000
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(That's a profit of $1000 in your pocket, just for typing a couple dozen words!)

'nobody' on Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:59:20 GMT, sez:

i really just wanted to comment because the spam-filter word was "meatbag". guess that backfired.

'Alexey Romanov' on Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:52:41 GMT, sez:

Of course you probably know it, but "[If you can show that P=NP, then] 'most cryptographic algorithms are basically useless'" is wrong.

'lb' on Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:32:55 GMT, sez:

It reminds me of this quote from Sneakers:

"There isn't a government on this planet that wouldn't kill us all for that thing."

'Scott' on Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:43:00 GMT, sez:

Coincidences freak me out: you post this random thought, and the same week P=NP is the subject of the evening for the Mathematical Algorithms module at uni.

Unfortunately it is not as simple as setting N=1. Bummer. I might actually have to learn something.

'lb' on Fri, 28 Nov 2008 01:01:58 GMT, sez:

>Unfortunately it is not as simple as setting N=1

or P=0. ;-)

I keep thinking about P=NP at inopportune moments, and wonder why there isn't some case P!=NP can be proved by having a really small problem domain where it can be completed shown that every combination must be considered before a solution is found.

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