Mathematicians really do think like this: the proof is a side effect of enjoying the process
mjuric · x · 2026-10-08
Nic Carter shares a striking analogy: imagine if carpenters believed "the value of carpentry is not in producing a nice cabinet, it's my personal enjoyment of the process — the finished cabinet is a side effect." Turns out that is genuinely how mathematicians think. The quip, circulating amid OpenAI's release of hundreds of machine-generated math proofs no human has yet read, speaks to what remains of a researcher's value when machines deliver the results.
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