Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ncsu.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!vaxine!wjh12!genrad!decvax!mcnc!ncsu!jcz From: jcz@ncsu.UUCP (John Carl Zeigler) Newsgroups: net.ai Subject: Re: Mathematical Methods Message-ID: <2622@ncsu.UUCP> Date: Mon, 18-Jun-84 18:10:07 EDT Article-I.D.: ncsu.2622 Posted: Mon Jun 18 18:10:07 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 20-Jun-84 00:49:28 EDT References: <7379@rochester.UUCP> Organization: N.C. State University, Raleigh Lines: 26 It is not surprising that mathemeticians cannot remember what they do when they first contsrtuct proofs, especially 'difficult' proofs. Difficult proofs probably take quite a bit of processing power, with none left over for observing and recording what was done. In order to get a record of what exactly occurs ( a 'protocol' ) when a proof is being constructed, we would have to interrupt the subject and get him to tell us what he is doing - interferring with the precise things we want to measure! There is much the same problem with studying how programmers write programs. We can approach a recording by saving every scrap of paper and recording every keystroke, but that is not such a great clue to mental processes. It would be nice if some mathemetician would save EVERY single scrap of paper ( timestamped, please! ) involved in a proof, from start to finish. Maybe we would find some insight in that. . . John Carl Zeigler North Carolina State University