Commenters frame AI-assisted math as 'sorcery' vs. 'wizardry'
3 Sep 18 1:23 PM · 8d ago · 7 comments · 1 source · development 3 of 5
Multiple Hacker News commenters develop an analogy comparing AI-assisted mathematics to sorcery (summoning supernatural beings to perform magic without understanding it) versus traditional mathematics as wizardry (deep study and understanding of arcane knowledge). This frames the philosophical question of whether AI theorem-finding without deep human understanding constitutes legitimate mathematical progress.
“Computing has historically been a field of wizardry… The magic of 'wizards' is fundamentally based on a deep study and understanding of arcane things.”
gbjcantabm-hodges Programmer, proof authorClaude (Anthropic) AI modelJohn Conway Mathematician, originator of conjecture
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What people said 7 voices · verbatim
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I find the way the author communicates with the LLM fascinating. For example:> However, I didn’t just want any result; I wanted something that pulls me.> Initially, I asked Claude:> Me: which unsolved problems in the Surreal Numbers research program pull you the most and why?Note the switch from "pulls me" to "pull[s] you". What is the author's…
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For some reason, this approach makes me think of the difference between “wizardry” and “sorcery” in some fantasy magic systems. The magic of “wizards” is fundamentally based on a deep study and understanding of arcane things, perhaps assisted by some (necessary or helpful) tools of great power. “Sorcerers” summon supernatural beings and are able…
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My main thought is that he was performing something general here that is actually valuable and hard for a large proportion of humanity. It's like when Google search was a difficult thing, or troubleshooting a PC. what he is able to do here is actually a rare skill, called intelligence and he may think it's nothing, but it's actually very rare and…
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Differently than wizards that lock their knowledge in towers and in sects, software development has a tradition of being open for the most part, so the sorcery and wizardry analogy works more like a spectrum. It just depends on how close to the metal the apprentice would like their consciousness.
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Heh, I like this. but it should be pointed out that from the other point of view, software developers were the supernatural beings (dare I say demons), which the sorcery of a good project manager could tame (with more or less success) to perform the desired magical effect
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My experience has been similar; I find ChatGPT to be much stronger and more precise at math and in communication. I also can not do better with a multiple agent flow than I can with a single agent.
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The sorcerers have always outnumbered the wizards. Before AI, we called them code monkeys.
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