Correctness, Artificial Intelligence, and the Epistemic Value of Mathematical Proof
History and Overview
2026-02-16 v1 Artificial Intelligence
Abstract
We argue that it is neither necessary nor sufficient for a mathematical proof to have epistemic value that it be "correct", in the sense of formalizable in a formal proof system. We then present a view on the relationship between mathematics and logic that clarifies the role of formal correctness in mathematics. Finally, we discuss the significance of these arguments for recent discussions about automated theorem provers and applications of AI to mathematics.
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Cite
@article{arxiv.2602.12463,
title = {Correctness, Artificial Intelligence, and the Epistemic Value of Mathematical Proof},
author = {James Owen Weatherall and Jesse Wolfson},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.12463},
year = {2026}
}
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43 pages