Are mathematical proofs incomparable with proofs in other disciplines?

[John Baez <baez@math.ucr.edu>]

Vaughan writes:

1.  Is mathematical proof so different from say legal proof that the two
> notions should be listed on a disambiguation page as being unrelated
> meanings of the same word, or should they be treated as essentially the same
> notion modulo provenance of evidence and strictness of sufficiency, both
> falling under the definition "sufficient evidence of the truth of a
> proposition."
>

Geoffrey Lloyd's book "Adversaries and Authorities: Investigations into
Ancient Greek and Chinese Science" has a discussion of how the Greek legal
system influenced Greek concepts of rationality.  While I haven't read it in
a long while, I think it makes a good case that the concepts of "proof" in
Western law, medicine, science, and mathematics are deeply intertwined.
It's very useful to compare Greece with China on these issues.  You could
get a taste of it here:

http://books.google.com/books?id=3820gVEQu1AC&printsec=frontcover&dq=adversaries+and+authorities&source=bl&ots=Z1qCx04ANb&sig=MROclDNl8-wjDKFi77o4z8Cs1_s&hl=en&ei=pz03TJLUHobEsAPglo1S&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=proof&f=false

but the whole book is fascinating.  It would also make a good citation - and
it contains many further references.

Best,
jb


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