cannonball problem

proper noun

The challenge of proving that the only solution of the Diophantine equation :∑ₙ₌₁ᴺn²=M²; with N > 1 is when N = 24 and M = 70.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. mathematicsThe challenge of proving that the only solution of the Diophantine equation :∑ₙ₌₁ᴺn²=M²; with N > 1 is when N = 24 and M = 70.

Origin

It can be visualized as the problem of taking a square arrangement of cannonballs on the ground and building a square pyramid out of them.

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Cite this entry
APA

cannonball problem. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cannonball%20problem

MLA

“cannonball problem.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cannonball%20problem. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cannonball problem,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cannonball%20problem.

Source: cannonball problem on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.