# I think I may be on the verge of something BIG

Tags:
1. Apr 20, 2015

### Chris Davis

I don't know if this formula already exists, but I think this may lead to finally finding the fail-proof square-root formula. What I've got now is this:

nx=nx-1+nx-1×(n-1)

I don't know if anyone else has actually discovered the above formula, but I do know that this has never failed for all the n/x combinations i have used. Let me know what you think!

2. Apr 20, 2015

### TeethWhitener

It has never failed, and it never will.$$n^{x-1}+n^{x-1}(n-1) = n^{x-1}+n^{x-1}\times n-n^{x-1}\times 1$$$$=n^{x-1}+n^{x}-n^{x-1}=n^x$$

3. Apr 20, 2015

### Chris Davis

I'm sorry, I'm not a mathmetician. I'm just a high school student. I'm just trying to do the impossible on the off-chance that I might actually discover something. And no, it is NOT April 1.

4. Apr 20, 2015

### TeethWhitener

Edited out the snark. :P I'll say don't give up, but you may want some guidance. Here's an interesting site I just found that will keep you busy for a while: http://unsolvedproblems.org/

5. Apr 20, 2015

### Chris Davis

Thanks alot. So that formula that I put up actually WAS already discovered? Just wanting to make sure, so I don't make a fool of myself.

6. Apr 20, 2015

### TeethWhitener

I wouldn't say it was "discovered" specifically, but it's trivial enough to prove that it isn't really of much interest to mathematicians. However, sometimes little tricks like these allow speedups in physics simulations or other codes (look up 0x5f3759df for a famous example), but you'd have to show that it's better than the existing routines.

7. Apr 20, 2015

### Chris Davis

okay, thanks alot. I'll keep that in mind. For now, back to my experiments!

8. Apr 20, 2015

### Staff: Mentor

Or, more simply, $n^{x - 1} + n^{x - 1}(n - 1) = n^{x - 1}(1 + n - 1) = n^{x - 1}\cdot n = n^x$

9. Apr 21, 2015

### Staff: Mentor

In other words, if you study physics or mathematics you probably use it as a step in some proof or calculation multiple times without thinking about it.