Mechanizing Proof Computing, Risk, and Trust

"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.MacKenzie, Donald A. is the author of 'Mechanizing Proof Computing, Risk, and Trust' with ISBN 9780262133937 and ISBN 0262133938.