FOM: news on unprovability of P=?NP

[vznuri@earthlink.net]

hi all. just wanted to drop you a line on 
recent developments over on theory-edge.

dr.solovay weighed in with a review of the
paper that daCosta & Doria posted to theory-edge files section
looking at the unprovability of P=?NP in peano arithmetic..

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theory-edge/message/3799

> The main result claimed in the paper is that Peano
> Arithmetic [henceforth PA] does not prove the obvious formalization of
> "P != NP". If this result had been proved, it would have been one of
> the most important and significant results ever proved in either
> computer science or mathematical logic.
>
> However, the proof in the paper under discussion is
> erroneous. In my judgement, there is absolutely nothing of any
> scientific merit in the paper. No progress has been made on the
> understanding of the "P != NP" question and there is not the slightest
> likelihood that the methods of this paper will lead to any insight on
> this question.
..

RS's more general analysis of the line of attack in this msg

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theory-edge/message/3800


imho, from my peripheral vantage point of watching developments
on this 1sthand over about six months, RS is seriously 
mistaken on specific & general points..
although I am not convinced DC+FD have a bulletproof proof "yet".
my comments to that effect follow in the subsequent msgs on theory-edge.

feel free to drop by theory-edge for any upcoming developments..
the paper can be downloaded from yahoo by anyone curious..

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theory-edge/