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scottaaronson.blog · 1,431 words · saved by 3 readers

More often than I can remember, I’ve been asked some form of the following question: “If you computer scientists can’t prove P=NP or P!=NP, then why aren’t we justified in b…

More often than I can remember, I’ve been asked some form of the following question: “If you computer scientists can’t prove P=NP or P!=NP, then why aren’t we justified in believing whichever one we want? And why is the ‘consensus’ that P!=NP anything more than a shared prejudice — something you repeat to each other so your work won’t seem irrelevant?” It’s time to assume the mantle of Defender of the Faith. I’m going to give you ten arguments for believing P!=NP: arguments that are pretty much obvious to those who have thought seriously about the question, but that (with few exceptions)…

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