| Details | | Publication Date: | 2001-10-01 | | Series: | Inside Technology Series | | Edition Description: | Illustrated |
| Size | | Length: | 427 pages | | Height: | 9.0 in | | Width: | 6.3 in | | Thickness: | 1.2 in | | Weight: | 29.6 oz |
Publisher's Note
Most aspects of our private and social safety, the integrity of the financial system, the functioning of utilities and other services, and national security--now depend on computing. But how can we know that this computing is trustworthy? In MECHANIZING PROOF, Donald MacKenzie addresses this key issue by investigating the interrelations of computing, risk, and mathematical proof over the last half century from the perspectives of history and sociology. His discussion draws on the technical literature of computer science and artificial intelligence and on extensive interviews with participants.
MacKenzie argues that our culture now contains two ideals of proof: proof as traditionally conducted by human mathematicians, and formal, mechanized proof. He describes the systems constructed by those committed to the latter ideal and the many questions those systems raise about the nature of proof. He looks at the primary social influence on the development of automated proof--the need to predict the behavior of the computer systems upon which human life and security depend--and explores the involvement of powerful organizations such as the National Security Agency. He concludes that in mechanizing proof, and in pursuing dependable computer systems, we do not obviate the need for trust in our collective human judgment.
Industry Reviews
"MacKenzie is a sociologist, which may seem an unlikely calling for someone writing about mathematical proof. There is an explanation: A central question about proof, which comes up over and over in this narrative, is whether it should be viewed as a formal exercise in deductive logic, or whether it is really just a social process by which people reach consensus about what is true. MacKenzie is not at all dogmatic about the answer, and he allows both sides to state their case. Moreover, Mechanizing Proof is not just a book about the sociology of science. Along the way MacKenzie offers a well-informed, nontechnical description of the underlying issues in mathematics and computer science. All of the appropriate literature has been consulted, and much additional material comes from dozens of interviews conducted by MacKenzie and his students and colleagues. The book tells lots of stories....The subject is the search for rigor, but the prose is pleasantly informal."
American Scientist
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