On 1/4/06, Casey Rousseau <casey at the-bat.net> wrote: > > > "There is no problem that cannot be solved by the correct application of > high explosive" > > Well, there are, it's just that the class of problems that fail to meet this > criteria is very nearly the same as the class of problems which are simply > insoluble. > I believe that there are definitions of "solve" for which the maxim quoted is always correct, although they are more usually used by chemists and such. (examining the OED, and noting the following:) [begin cite] {dag}1. trans. To loosen; to break. Obs. {dag}2. a. To unbind, untie. Obs. 5. To dissolve, put an end to, settle. 6. To dissolve; to melt. Hence solved ppl. a.; {sm}solving vbl. n. and ppl. a. [end cite] Although captious interpretation of the usages interpretable as meaning physical destruction might well lead to situations where students of mathematics being told to "solve for x" results in the entire school burning down and/or blowing up. Moral: Do not allow students access to dictionaries and/or volatile chemicals.