Editing 982: Set Theory

Jump to: navigation, search

Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.

The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
Latest revision Your text
Line 8: Line 8:
  
 
==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
This comic is a pun on the phrase "{{w|Proof by Intimidation}}" which normally is a jocular term used mainly in mathematics. It refers to a style of presenting a purported mathematical proof by giving an argument loaded with jargon and appeals to obscure results, so that the audience is simply obliged to accept it, lest they have to admit to their ignorance and lack of understanding.
+
This comic is a pun on the phrase "{{w|Proof by Intimidation}}" which normally is a jocular term used mainly in mathematics. It refers to a style of presenting a purported mathematical proof by giving an argument loaded with jargon and appeals to obscure results, so that the audience is simply obliged to accept it, lest they have to admit their ignorance and lack of understanding.
  
However, in this comic, "Proof by Intimidation" is taken to mean that by intimidating the elements within a set, they will conform to the proof (or, as the title text says, they will become "well-ordered"). This is accomplished by believing that the elements can be {{w|anthropomorphize}}d such that they feel fear. The idea of executing as an example was discussed by Sun Tzu in the ancient book {{w|The Art Of War}}.
+
However, in this comic, "Proof by Intimidation" is taken to mean that by intimidating the elements within a set, they will conform to the proof (or, as the title text says, they will become "well-ordered"). This is accomplished by believing that the elements can be {{w|anthropomorphize}}d such that they feel fear. The idea of executing as an example was exemplified by Sun Tzu in the ancient book {{w|The Art Of War}}.
 
 
This interpretation of the term "Proof by Intimidation" bears great resemblance to {{w|Argumentum ad baculum|argument from the stick}}, which is a fallacious form of reasoning of the form
 
<br>1.  If not P, I will do you harm.
 
<br>2.  Therefore, P.
 
<br>This form of fallacy has the distinction, if properly applied, of never being called out as fallacious.  Ponytail, however, is threatening the proposition itself, rather than her audience, bringing a level of absurdity to the situation.
 
  
 
The {{w|axiom of choice}} (which has been referenced previously in [[804: Pumpkin Carving]]) says that given any collection of bins, each containing at least one object, it is possible to make a selection of exactly one object from each bin. It was later referenced in the title text of [[1724: Proofs]], another comic about a math class with a similar theme on how teachers teach their student mathematical proofs.
 
The {{w|axiom of choice}} (which has been referenced previously in [[804: Pumpkin Carving]]) says that given any collection of bins, each containing at least one object, it is possible to make a selection of exactly one object from each bin. It was later referenced in the title text of [[1724: Proofs]], another comic about a math class with a similar theme on how teachers teach their student mathematical proofs.
  
 
In the title text, the well-ordering theorem states that every set can be well-ordered. A set X is well-ordered by a strict total order if every non-empty subset of X has a least element under the ordering. This is also known as {{w|Zermelo's theorem}} and is equivalent to the Axiom of Choice. The woodchipper is a reference to the 1996 film {{w|Fargo (film)|Fargo}}, where a character uses one to dispose of a body.
 
In the title text, the well-ordering theorem states that every set can be well-ordered. A set X is well-ordered by a strict total order if every non-empty subset of X has a least element under the ordering. This is also known as {{w|Zermelo's theorem}} and is equivalent to the Axiom of Choice. The woodchipper is a reference to the 1996 film {{w|Fargo (film)|Fargo}}, where a character uses one to dispose of a body.
 +
 +
There is another layer to the joke.  If you can feed the set to the wood-chipper, that defines an ordering on the set (the order in which the elements are fed to the wood chipper) which would be well-ordered.  Hey, look, the set really is well-ordered!  If there were no way of defining a well-ordering on the set, you wouldn't be able to feed it to the wood-chipper.
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
:[Ponytail stands at a blackboard, facing away from it. She has a pointer in her hand, and written on the blackboard is some set theory math, although one of the set elements is being pointed into a guillotine.]
+
:[Mrs. Lenhart stands at a blackboard, facing away from it. She has a pointer in her hand, and written on the blackboard is some set theory math, although one of the set elements is being pointed into a guillotine.]
:Ponytail: The axiom of choice allows you to select one element from each set in a collection
+
:Mrs. Lenhart: The axiom of choice allows you to select one element from each set in a collection
:Ponytail: and have it ''executed'' as an example to the others.
+
:Mrs. Lenhart: and have it ''executed'' as an example to the others.
 
 
:[Caption below the panel:]
 
 
:My math teacher was a big believer in Proof by Intimidation.
 
:My math teacher was a big believer in Proof by Intimidation.
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
  
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
+
[[Category:Comics featuring Mrs. Lenhart]]
 
[[Category:Math]]
 
[[Category:Math]]
 
[[Category:Logic]]
 
[[Category:Logic]]
 
[[Category:Puns]]
 
[[Category:Puns]]

Please note that all contributions to explain xkcd may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see explain xkcd:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!

To protect the wiki against automated edit spam, we kindly ask you to solve the following CAPTCHA:

Cancel | Editing help (opens in new window)