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I really like the idea of "proof by wiki" that the author mentions. It had some success with the polymath proof of the Hales-Jewett theorem a while back (https://www.hypios.com/thinking/2010/01/13/massively-collabo...). Along a similar vein, the french group of mathematitions who published together under the pseudonym N. Bourbaki laid down a huge amount of mathematics in the 1930s. Their work became the foundation for much of the rigorous mathematics of the last century.

Of course, no-one ends up with a famous theorem under their name as no one person can claim they proved the theorem. But from the point of view of the mathematics world, it seems like a great idea.




Just as a pedantipoint, there were several Bourbaki groups, their work started in the mid 30s and extended significantly beyond that.

http://planetmath.org/encyclopedia/NicolasBourbaki.html


I didn't know that there was more than one group, thanks. I knew that the contributors changed over time but not that there where several groups.

Either way, their work has been very useful.


"Pedantipoint" sounds like a delicious software parody of Microsoft!




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