Math Department, Mission College, Santa Clara, California Go to Math Dept Main Page Mission College Main Page This paper was written as an assignment for Ian Walton's Math G - Math for liberal Arts Students - at Mission College. If you use material from this paper, please acknowledge it. To explore other such papers go to the Math G Projects Page. The Four Color Theorem Michelle Beard Math G, Spring 1999 Mission College, Santa Clara How many colors are required to color any map so that no countries with common borders are the same color? It is generally held that four colors, for any flat map, will suffice. But a belief that is commonly held and easily observed, is not a mathematical certainty. Nor does the simplicity of a question reflect the ease with which the answer can be proven. The mathematical evidence to create a valid proof that four colors are all that is required had evaded mathematicians for nearly 140 years. What became known as the Four Color Conjecture has been the cause of great fascination and frustration. It has also been the stimulus for new ideas in topology, knot theory, and the concept of mathematical proof. Historical Overview: The question was originally posed by Francis Guthrie, a former student of the famous mathematician Augustus De Morgan, in 1852. Although Francis moved on to study law, his brother Frederick Guthrie had become a student of De Morgan. Francis Guthrie presented his work on the idea to his brother asking that he pass it along to De Morgan. | |
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