Prognostication on the P-list

[Richard Fiero]

Ya Sam wrote:
>I would like to second David's motion. The notion of 'Hilbert Space' 
>was also used in Michel Houellebecq's 'Particules elementaires', so 
>I would like to hear any kind of comprehensible explanation on the 
>'torus is a doughnut' level. Please, leave aside these horrible formulas!!!
. . .

The interesting part may not be the weirdness of Hilbert Space but 
the death of the hope of Hilbert Formalism to automate the proving of 
statements within coherent systems.  Please see Cantor or Godel.

"The axiomatic method is indeed and remains the one suitable and 
indispensable aid to the spirit of every exact investigation no 
matter in what domain; it is logically unassailable and at the same 
time fruitful; it guarantees thereby complete freedom of investigation."
--David Hilbert