Simplicity
Respondents had many different criteria for greatness in equations.
Half a dozen people were so impressed with simplicity that they
proposed 1 + 1 = 2.
“I know that other equations have done more, express greater power [and have a] broader understanding of the universe,” wrote Richard Harrison from Calgary in Canada, “but there’s something to be said for the beauty of the simplest things of their kind.” He then recalled how 1 + 1 = 2 was the first equation he taught his son. “I remember [him] holding up the index finger of each hand as he learned the expression, and the moment of wonder when he saw that the two fingers, separated by his whole body, could be joined in a single concept in his mind.”
Neil Blackie also voted for 1 + 1 = 2. “For this equation to come into being there had to be the invention of a method for representing a physical reality, quantities had to be given names and symbols,” he argued. “There had to be a system to show how these quantities could be grouped together or taken apart. The writing down of this equation gave us the ability to present ideas, to discuss concepts, which led to an ever-expanding sphere of knowledge.”
Source: Physics Web
