In mathematics, Dickson's lemma states that every set of -tuples of natural numbers has finitely many minimal elements. This simple fact from combinatorics has become attributed to the American algebraist L. E. Dickson, who used it to prove a result in number theory about perfect numbers.[1] However, the lemma was certainly known earlier, for example to Paul Gordan in his research on invariant theory.[2]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
dicksonwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Buchberger, Bruno; Winkler, Franz (1998), Gröbner Bases and Applications, London Mathematical Society Lecture Note Series, vol. 251, Cambridge University Press, p. 83, ISBN 9780521632980.