Talks to Watch

Numberphile v. Math: the truth about 1+2+3+...=-1/12

3.3M views · Jan 13, 2018 · 41:44 · 4 HN recommenders · 7 mentions · discussed 2020–2023

Mathologer examines the infamous Numberphile claim that 1+2+3+... equals -1/12, explaining what is wrong with the calculation and how it connects to real math like the zeta function and analytic continuation.

Why Hacker News points people here: HN points to it as the in-depth rebuttal to the Numberphile video that explains why the 'proof' is wrong yet the result is meaningful.

“Mathologer did a fairly in-depth video[1] into why this proof is wrong”HN comment, 2020

What Hacker News said 7

Recommendsstan_rogersFeb 2020

“Mathologer points out both that it's patent nonsense”

Explains why the -1/12 sum is nonsense yet useful.

Full comment

Burkard Polster's (Mathologer) videos on the subject are probably going to be more useful than Numberphile. Numberphile merely presents a trick; Mathologer points out both that it's patent nonsense [0] and that it's useful patent nonsense [1]. [0] this video [1] link

in “Ramanujan Surprises Again (2015)” · view on HN
RecommendscypharNov 2020

“Mathologer did a fairly in-depth video[1] into why this proof is wrong”

In-depth explanation of why the proof is wrong.

Full comment

That proof (and the more general statement) is not correct because it makes assumptions about infinite summation of divergent series that are not true. There is a link between the sum of natural numbers -- namely, the analytic continuation of the Reimann Zeta function has Z(-1) = -1/12. But the Zeta function is only defined to equal the sum of inverse powers for Re(z) > 1. And under a specific definition of summation (Ramanujan summation) you can say that "the sum is equal to -1/12" but that isn't the same as normal summation. Mathologer did a fairly in-depth video[1] into why this proof is wrong and what the actual link is between the infinite series and -1/12. The upshot is that even if you use more complicated definitions of summation, you cannot define sums of the kind 1+2+3+... to equal a finite number. If you assume the infinite sum of 1+2+3+... converges to a finite number you can easily prove a contradictory statement using the same summation properties assumed by that proof. Namely: S = 1 + 2 + 3 + ... = -1/12 S2 = S-S = 0 = 1 + 2 + 3 + ... - 1 - 2 - 3 - ... = 0 = 1 + 2 + 3 + ... - 1 - 2 - ... = 0 S2 = 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + ... = 0 S3 = S2-S2 = 0 = (1-1) + (1-1) + ... = 1 - 1 + 1 - 1 + ... = 0 But we "derived" in the original proof that S3 is equal to 1/2, which is a contradiction. (You could derive S3 is 1/2 from S but that's what the article does in reverse.) [1]: this video

in “1.5 is the midpoint between 0 and infinity in Ruby” · view on HN
RecommendscrvdgcOct 2021

“I find a response video to it more enlightening.”

Response video found more enlightening than Numberphile's original.

Full comment

I find a response video to it more enlightening. It's often found as the number one related video. this video

in “Conterintuitive facts in mathematics, CS, and physics” · view on HN
RecommendsjonnytranJul 2022

“this video explains how one of the Numberphile videos is wrong”

Explains how a Numberphile video is wrong.

Full comment

I know you're asking about Computerphile, but this video explains how one of the Numberphile videos is wrong: this video

in “Ask HN: YouTube Channels for the Intellectually Curious” · view on HN
Cites itdjaychelaJul 2022

Listed among channels with multiple votes in thread tally.

Full comment

Just spent 5 minutes making a script to find all the links in this thread and then 'score' them on the number of votes. Here's all the channels with 2 or more: 6 Votes: link link 5 Votes: link link link link 4 Votes: link 3 Votes: link link link link link link link link link link link link link link 2 Votes: link link link link link link link link link link link link link this video link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link link

in “Ask HN: YouTube Channels for the Intellectually Curious” · view on HN
Criticalt_mannJul 2022

“did a whole 40min video tearing it apart”

Full comment

It's similar. Two issues with Numberphile videos I can remember: Their video on 1+2+3+... = -1/12 was so bad that another Math channel (Mathologer, which is highly recommendable btw) did a whole 40min video tearing it apart: this video In their video on fluid mechanics, they say that the Navier-Stokes equations describe all fluids on earth, while they only show the incompressible version (without clarifying). The examples shown on screen at that moment also include a Ketchup bottle, and they don't discuss non-Newtonian fluids either (Ketchup is non-Newtonian, that's why you can get a lot of it coming out at once if you shake a bottle too hard). It's a bit nitpicking though, because apart from these missing caveats it's a great video (with a guest lecturer from Tom Rocks Maths, another great math channel).

in “Ask HN: YouTube Channels for the Intellectually Curious” · view on HN
CriticalOldGuyInTheClubSep 2023

“Mathologer called them out on it.”

Full comment

Yes, I kept waiting for them to "fess up" at the end but they didn't. Mathologer called them out on it. this video