[FOM] Smallest universal machine

[Arnon Avron]

On Fri, Oct 26, 2007 at 08:50:21AM -0700, Martin Davis wrote:

> As far as I know, no member of the committee has passed on the 
> validity of this 40 page proof. The determination that Smith's proof 
> is correct seems to have been made entirely by the Wolfram 
> organization. 

Once mathematical proofs really become a sociological 
matter, and their essential property of being open to
the individual verification of each mathematician is
abandoned, it would not take long before money and strength 
of organizations will be a major factor in "acceptance" 
of mathematical "proofs".
(of course, I don't mean by this that the suggested proof
of Smith to what he has proved is necessarily incorrect).

Arnon Avron