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But in the vast majority of cases, these small mistakes are caught by other mathematicians. This is because verifying a proof is easier (in terms of resources)
by antidesitter 8y ago
But in the vast majority of cases, these small mistakes are caught by other mathematicians. This is because verifying a proof is easier (in terms of resources) than, for example, replicating a randomized control trial (with the necessary equipment and subjects).
- mkl 8y agoNot necessarily. Most papers are only ever read by a few people, and even very well cited papers can contain errors which may not be corrected in public unless they significantly change the outcome (but which can make analogous proofs more difficult, as I found with a 2000-citation paper in my PhD's field (its outcome wasn't affected)).