| Sumario: | The article reports that mathematicians have come to esteem rigorous argument as the most important feature of their subject. In turn, the example of mathematics has, over a long period, made rigorous argument an ideal in many other areas of inquiry--from the sciences to theology. According to William Thurston, ordinary conversation between mathematicians can often convey a new solution in a matter of minutes, whereas a formal proof delivered in a seminar will take an hour, and a written article may take several hours or even days to understand. Another mathematician, Andrew Odlyzko, has suggested that the unfortunate limitations of printed journals can now be overcome with computers. Computers can allow mathematicians to distribute something more than the traditional style of printed proof. These nonrigorous areas may not find their way into print, but they appear in private discussion and they reveal themselves at conferences and meetings.
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