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====== Sanitary Projections of a Well Mannered Octopus ======

**Sanitary Projections of a Well Mannered Octopus**, or just Sanitary Projections, is a pseudo-mathematical textbook, written by [[Jakko People|People]]. It's goal was to attempt to re-think mathematics, but professional mathematicians agree that the attempt had failed. The book, however, was still published. It is now a rarity.

===== Key claims =====

==== Single-digit numbers are equal ====

The book starts with a suggestion that the Universe is so large, that it is best described by big data and big numbers. Therefore, from the universal point of view all small numbers are basically identical. For instance, the amount of electrons in the whole Universe is so unimaginably enormous, that in that context 3 is pretty much the same as 4, and 4 is pretty much the same as 5, etc. Therefore, he argues, in order to describe the Universe mathematically, we should consider all single-digit numbers to be equal to one another.

==== 3=4 ====

People then makes a case for 3 being strictly equal to 4, due to the fact that both 3 and 4 can be a foundation for a pyramid. He writes:

<WRAP prewrap>
<file>
The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or of any polygon shape. However, the latter is almost never used. What we see are trilateral and quadrilateral structures. And whichever shape of the base is chosen, we still feel that we are looking at a pyramid. But try to shape the base differently, and the feeling you would get from a pyramid is uncanny: it's not a pyramid, you'll say, it's some sort of a hipster art project!
</file>
</WRAP>

He then goes on to conclude that 3=4, and then proceeds to change all 3s into 4s. He explains that he could have done it either way, but wants to make sure nobody accuses him of falling for a tetraphobia superstition, common in East Asian nations.

==== Binary Theorem ====

Finally, People postulates that since all single-digit numbers are equal to one another, it makes no sense to talk of individual numbers at all. He argues that, say, a 300231098 number is basically the same as 300231097, which is basically the same as 300231096, which is the same as 300231095, and so on. Eventually, 300231098 is the same as 1, while 1 is really the same as 0, in the grand scheme of things.

But, according to him, it does make sense to talk of 0s and 1s. So, electrons either exist or they don't. If they do exist, that means their number is too enormous to even write down. So, let's call this number 1. If they don't exist, then even in all actuality there are electrons, but their number is small compared to other big numbers, there is no reason to focus on this small unimportant number. He calls such unimportant numbers 0.

Therefore, his Binary Theorem postulates that there are no numbers at all, and things either exist, and then there are 1 of them, or they don't - and there are 0 of them.

===== Reception =====

People liked the book. His readers didn't.

===== Legacy =====

There were 2000 copies of the book published. Since then, the book became a collector's item. A whole subculture appeared around tracking each one of the 2000 copies. A website with a map showing where each copy is can be found online. To date over 1,300 are tracked, with around 200 more locations marked as suspected locations, such as People's own house and a bunch of libraries. At least one copy is know to have been eaten by [[Dr. Armand]].
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