Proofs at first exude a strong aroma of certainty. On closer inspection though, more subtle notes emerge. Despite the dreams of formalists, the overwhelming majority of proofs in use and circulation are not minute low-level logical derivations, but rather intuitive high-level explanations. Some of which turn out to be false even after peer-review. Similarly, the level of details varies enormously across accepted proofs.
Proof as mere strong evidence
Proof as mere strong evidence
Proof as mere strong evidence
Proofs at first exude a strong aroma of certainty. On closer inspection though, more subtle notes emerge. Despite the dreams of formalists, the overwhelming majority of proofs in use and circulation are not minute low-level logical derivations, but rather intuitive high-level explanations. Some of which turn out to be false even after peer-review. Similarly, the level of details varies enormously across accepted proofs.