MathematicsAs part of a project to make mathematics machine-readable, mathematicians have discovered an error in an important proof. Thankfully there was a fix, but the incident highlights the potential for other errors to be lurking in the mathematics literature 26 December 2024 Oops! Try that againTetra Images/AlamyAn error in a proof underlying a widely used branch of modern mathematics was accidentally discovered by mathematicians while translating old proofs to a computer language. The mistake was swiftly fixed, but mathematicians say that the episode highlights the importance of making maths computer-readable to catch other possible examples.Most modern mathematics resides in research papers and textbooks, and relies on mathematicians checking each others work to make sure it is correct. A proof is essentially a social construct if enough mathematicians are satisfied that the logical steps of a proof are