Elementary proof
From Conservapedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Aschlafly (Talk | contribs) at 02:32, January 17, 2009. It may differ significantly from current revision.
An elementary proof or elementary technique in mathematics is a proof that uses only real numbers or real analysis rather than the use of complex analysis.[1] An elementary proof typically cannot be improved by expressing it in simpler form.
The Prime Number Theorem has long been proven using complex analysis (Riemann Zeta function), but in 1949 and 1950 an elementary proof by Paul Erdos and Atle Selberg earned Selberg the highest prize in math, the Fields Medal. In contrast, Andrew Wiles' proof of Fermat's Last Theorem did not use elementary techniques.[2]
