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rpns | 8 years ago

I don't think you'll find 'easy' as a definition of trivial in a mainstream dictionary (rather things like 'of little value or importance'). It probably is just computing jargon, though I recall it being used when studying mathematics and meaning 'self-evident' (e.g. a trivial solution).

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RandomTrees|8 years ago

Mathematics books are full of "trivial" for things easy enough to require no explanation (not only trivial solutions etc.). Probaby CS inherited it.

jsty|8 years ago

Some mathematicians do have a definite over-fondness for handwaving away statements they can't be bothered to prove with the "it follows trivially that ...". It's all well and good when such a proof would be 20 minutes of basic algebra, but that's frequently not the case.

One of our lecturers at university was so renowned for this, everyone taking that module organised to write "the answer to this question is trivial, and is left as an exercise to the marker" for any question they couldn't figure out in the exam.

dboreham|8 years ago

Yes, for me "Trivial" was a Mathematical term.

imron|8 years ago

Did they not grow up playing Trivial Pursuit?

emodendroket|8 years ago

The claim here is not that people don't know the word "trivial," but that they don't know of its use to mean "easy to solve."

adrianN|8 years ago

Learning the facts needed to be a good Trivial Pursuit player is literally a pointless pursuit. It's not easy though.