• Kogasa@programming.dev
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      24 hours ago

      It’s interesting because it’s highly counter-intuitive that such a thing is possible. It’s not supposed to be useful except as an example of a false intuition, which can remind us to be careful in our reasoning.

      • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        23 hours ago

        “Such a thing is possible” It kind of isn’t though? It’s a sphere that can pass through itself but not be sharply creased…how are these rules not just made up?

        • Kogasa@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          8
          ·
          23 hours ago

          Specifically, the thing that exists is a regular homotopy of immersions from the standard embedding to its opposite. The “rules” aren’t supposed to be self evident, they’re part of a broader context in topology

      • Captain Aggravated@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        8
        ·
        1 day ago

        I’m not actually sure if it isn’t actual bullshit. Like, start at Matt Parker/Numberphile “And if you keep doing this sequence you’ll notice it comes up with every other prime number.” sort of stuff, head off the deep end and then keep going.