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In research maths, there are some results you use as a black box because even though you could re-derive the result, it’s just a ton of work and you’re glad som
by joppy 5y ago
In research maths, there are some results you use as a black box because even though you could re-derive the result, it’s just a ton of work and you’re glad someone else has done it. For example perhaps it involves some very tedious case-by-case checking, or a large and long inductive argument. Then there are some results you use as a black box because it would take you (in this case you already have a PhD in the field, so let’s say at least 8 years of field-specific education) literally years of full-time study to become familiar enough with the underpinning technology to even follow the statement of the proof, let alone deeply understand it yourself.
I think there are very few, if any, things in software development that have an analogue in that second category.
- webmaven 5y ago> I think there are very few, if any, things in software development that have an analogue in that second category. Sure, if you're positing that the average developer has a PhD in computer science, or software engineering. But for the average software developer, gaining an understanding of the implementation details of their preferred programming language, or relational database, or browser HTML rendering engine, etc. (or any of a half dozen or so other systems or components they regularly use as black boxes), would in fact require a similar level of effort. For any given X, an "X Developer" can mean a developer using X, or a developer of X. The latter is where the analogies lie.