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Comment by fapjacks | Hacker News Reader

I think I understand the humor, but could you please explain so that I'm certain?

Your Erdos number is how many citation links you pass through to reach a paper by Erdos.

This author has (apparently) a nice tidy small Erdos number. To publish without co-authors denies those co-authors the chance to get (his Erdos number+1).

So clearly he/she is selfish and has the wrong priorities :)

Ahh! I didn't understand, but I do now. Thanks for the clarification! I totally grok how that could be "frustrating".

FWIW, Babai (the author) has a very small Erdos number: 1:

http://www.ams.org/mathscinet-getitem?mr=584517

> Babai (the author) has a very small Erdos number

Let's quit beating around the bush: he has the smallest possible Erdős number[1]. If you don't presently have an Erdős number, or wish to improve your Erdős number for bragging rights, co-authoring a paper with him (or any anyone with an equivalent Erdős number) is the best possible outcome. (Obtaining an Erdős number of one is sadly no longer possible.)

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erd%C5%91s_number

Smallest possible for living humans. One person, notably, had a lower number, but he is no longer with us.

It's weird that you're downvoted. Just to clarify

> Paul Erdős has an Erdős number of zero.

My Erdos number is 30 milligrams.

Also, don't miss the Erdős–Bacon number list. It sums one's Erdős number with the Keven Bacon number (shortest path to a movie with Keven Bacon). Some examples (Erdos + Bacon):

   Mit Math Professor Daniel Kreitman (1 + 2) = 3
   Richard Feynman (3 + 3) = 6
   NCAA gymnastics champion Kiralee Hayashi (3 + 2) = 5
   Natalie Portman (5 + 2) = 7

There's even a Erdos-Bacon-Sabbath number that also includes proximity to the band Black Sabbath.

Depending on how you count the Bacon number, I have an Erdős–Bacon number of 5 (2+3) and I'm actively working on my Sabbath number.

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