Stop. Look deeper. What is 7? Just: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 What is 4? Just: 1 1 1 1 What's 7+4? Just: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 This isn't an abstraction. This is the fundamental reality beneath all numbers. Now look...
Dear LessWrong community, Before diving into this paper, try something: Think of your favourite approach for potentially proving the Collatz conjecture - whether through dynamical systems, ergodic theory, or any other sophisticated mathematical framework. Now mentally trace that approach to its foundations. Notice how every path ultimately requires you to...