Splitting proofs in two

“Ever since Euclid, mathematical proofs have served a dual purpose: certifying that a statement is true and explaining why it is true. In the future these two epistemological functions may be divorced. In the future, the computer assistant may take care of the certification and leave the mathematician to look for an explanation that humans can understand.”

Dana Mackenzie, “What in the Name of Euclid Is Going On Here?”, Science, 2005

 

2 thoughts on “Splitting proofs in two

  1. Not really that different than it’s always been. Perfectly common for there to be multiple proofs of a fact, one of which is illuminating, the other of which is not

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