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Law of quadratic reciprocity (part 1): Mizar
In the article “Formal proof—getting started” [2007a], Freek Wiedijk introduces the practical use of formal proof assistants. He shows how two contrasting programs, Mizar and HOL Light, can be used to formalise and check an elementary number theoretic proof of the Law of Quadratic Reciprocity. Mizar has a declarative proof style, whilst HOL Light is a procedural system.…
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Proof assistants: A brief exposition
What’s the big deal about proof assistants? Why would anyone bother to write an article about them? These are good questions. In this post, I will try to answer them. A proof assistant is a computer program that checks a mathematical proof for correctness. In order for this to happen, the proof must be formalised, that…