The number that is too big for the universe

TREE(3) is simply a fig that turns up easy from conscionable playing a elemental mathematical game. Yet, it is truthful colossally ample that it couldn't conceivably acceptable successful our universe, writes Antonio Padilla

Mathematics 9 September 2022

By Antonio Padilla

TREE(3) is colossal

John Hayward / Alamy Stock Photo

There are galore numbers that acceptable rather people into our mundane lives. For example, the fig 5 counts the founding members of fashionable UK set One Direction, the fig 31 million, however galore followers they person connected Twitter and the fig zero, the fig of followers that really person decent sensation successful euphony (sorry!).

But determination are besides numbers which are important to mathematicians that tin ne'er acceptable into our mundane lives. There are adjacent those that could ne'er acceptable into the universe. Like TREE(3). Let …