| Summary/Abstract |
There is a well-known legend of Phrygian King Gordius, who tied a highly complex knot that defied all attempts to untie it. An oracle predicted that the man who would untie it would rule the world; the knot was finally undone by Alexander the Great, who did so by cutting through it with a sword. "Cutting the Gordian knot" is often used as a metaphor for solving an intractable problem by using a non-standard and very efficient method.
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