Teenager's parabola equation published in academic journal (1 Viewer)

[Trebla]

This Year 12 student wrote an equation that has 'blown away' the world of mathematics

A teenager from Gippsland in Victoria has written an equation that has been published in a national academic journal — a major achievement for one so young.

www.abc.net.au

I haven't seen the paper (if anyone can access it free pls post lol), but apparently it's a proof that a parabola is the only function that has one focal point - something that is taken for granted in high school.

Good example of mathematical curiosity...

 

[Drdusk]

I'm no mathematician but it took him 2 weeks to do it. Unless he's Ramanujan or something who can dream up formulas, how haven't Mathematicians already proved it? Like if people can prove stuff like Fermats last theorem and dedicate 10 years of their life to it, how come no one dedicated 2 weeks to this? I'm actually curious, not to sound degrading of his achievement, he's done a fine job, but shouldn't well known mathematicians already have proven something like this...

 

[Daniel.22]

Yeah, it is nothing special. And "academic journal" is a stretch for a mathematics education journal lol.