bs@gauss.mitre.org (Robert D. Silverman) (01/23/91)
I am seeking some historical information. What is the earliest know example where the use of a computer was essential in a mathematical proof or disproof of a previous conjecture. Or, alternately, what is the earliest known case where a mathematical relationship was discovered by computer (perhaps numerically) then verified afterward? I already have an instance that dates to 1953, so anything suggested should be earlier than that. I'm not talking about automated theorem provers. I would also be interested in knowing when the term "Computer Proof" or "Computer Assisted Proof" or similar phrase first appeared in the title of a paper. I have an example from Mathematics of Computation in 1962. Are there any earlier ones? -- Bob Silverman #include <std.disclaimer> Mitre Corporation, Bedford, MA 01730 "You can lead a horse's ass to knowledge, but you can't make him think"