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I like to think of it as Hofstadter suggests; theorem proving is mechanical, but there is a very beautiful art in selection of the axioms.
by fburnaby 17y ago
I like to think of it as Hofstadter suggests; theorem proving is mechanical, but there is a very beautiful art in selection of the axioms.
- 10ren 17y agoIt is by logic we prove, it is by intuition that we invent. - henri poincaré http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Biographies/Poincare.html http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Biographies/Poincare.htm...
- christopherolah 17y ago>theorem proving is mechanical I have to disagree. As theorems become more complicated, proving them becomes anything but mechanical: one must choose between an infinite variety of approaches, many of which are equally valid.
- gruseom 17y agoI like to think of it as Hofstadter suggests; theorem proving is mechanical Does he really say that? If so, he must not have proven any. Few things require more imagination.
- nearestneighbor 17y agoIn some idealized form of math, proving theorems is indeed mechanical, but the branching factor is extremely high.
- RiderOfGiraffes 17y agoThat's just wrong. Hofstadter never says that theorem proving is mechanical, and if he did, he'd be wrong. Demonstrating a proof can be mechanical, which is why proof assistants such as Coq can work, but finding a proof, that's an art.