> This is hardly anything remotely resembling a formal proof, of course. But > it should give you the basic idea -- it's a difficult problem because the > numbers are big. Your argument only applies to "your algorithm". The question is whether there exists something else besides a trial / brute force / clever brute force approach.
Computer scientists have also been struggling with the P=NP issue. Books have been written about that subject and all indications are that P != NP. But let's be honest: no conclusive proof exists so far that P != NP. Or for that matter there is no proof that P = NP or P != NP cannot be proven. StvB
