Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin
Math's 'Bunkbed Conjecture' Has Been Debunked (quantamagazine.org)
25 points by nhatcher 9 months ago | hide | past | favorite | 3 comments



Funny how "barely false" the conjecture is: "in this graph, finding an upper path was 1/10^6500 percent more likely than finding a lower one — an unimaginably small but nonzero number. The bunkbed conjecture was wrong."

I'm a little disappointed that the brute force search didn't work -- it it had, I would have come away feeling like I could have done it myself.


Interesting read! I assume the hunt is now on for both the smallest graph where this is the case, and the largest discrepancy. It would be great if there was a graph small enough to make some nice art out of, or even just to fit in your head.




Consider applying for YC's Fall 2025 batch! Applications are open till Aug 4

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: