https://briar-patch.neocities.org/tags/proof/ Recent content in Proof on Briar Patch Hugo en-us Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://briar-patch.neocities.org/posts/dont_believe_prove/ Mon, 10 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://briar-patch.neocities.org/posts/dont_believe_prove/ <p>In many ways, this is a companion post to my <a href="../admire_purity">complaint</a> about John Backus&rsquo; Turing lecture. If you travel far enough along the smarter-than-thou asshole path, you&rsquo;ll usually find the end of the line somewhere around formal proof methods.</p> <p>The idea is that if we can elaborate a proof from a well-verified set of operations and a minimal collection of axioms, the thing we&rsquo;re trying to demonstrate <em>has</em> to be correct. It&rsquo;s the ultimate trump card for those seeking a pure, unassailable foundation for their program (or, increasingly, their philosophy of life).</p>