Re:A visual proof that a^2 – b^2 = (a + b)(a – b)
by mmooss on Sunday December 15, 2024 @08:03PM
(#42427113)
> we need to be very careful when inspecting visual proofs
This is not a visual proof but a nice visualization, like a written explanation that is not a proof.
For an actual novel proof, nobody would imagine that they could eyeball it for a few minutes and conclude it was complete, correct, and consistent - maybe with the exception of professional mathematicians examining for simple proofs. You might eyeball it and follow its logic and not see any immediate flaws, but that's different.
This is not a visual proof but a nice visualization, like a written explanation that is not a proof.
For an actual novel proof, nobody would imagine that they could eyeball it for a few minutes and conclude it was complete, correct, and consistent - maybe with the exception of professional mathematicians examining for simple proofs. You might eyeball it and follow its logic and not see any immediate flaws, but that's different.