The Proof in the Code

“The most interesting book I’ve ever read about math.” –Kevin Roose, New York Times tech columnist and co-host of the Hard Fork podcast

“A thrilling account of ‘how one man’s quest to build a truth machine–a computer program that can provide a complete, 100 percent guarantee that a chain of logic is correct–is transforming the field of mathematics’ … . Readers will be captivated.” –Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The best math book I’ve read in years–the closest thing to capturing the magic of James Gleick’s Chaos. A true mathematical thriller!” –Noah Giansiracusa, author of Robin Hood Math and co-host of the Breaking Math podcast

“A fascinating example of how cultural clashes and creativity can create new paradigms … [In THE PROOF IN THE CODE] proofs, personalities, and machines collide–intriguingly–at the uneasy intersection of mathematics and computer science.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Kevin Hartnett is one of today’s finest chroniclers of math. With marvelous clarity and narrative flair, he introduces us to computer-verified proof, the drama behind it, and the people reimagining what math can be.” –Steven Strogatz, New York Times bestselling author of Infinite Powers, and co-host of The Joy of Why podcast

“At a time when knowledge work is on the brink of a seismic transformation, math … offers us a vision of what may be coming. [Hartnett’s writing is] gripping, page-turning, lucid, and significant.” –Brian Christian, author of The Alignment Problem

”[THE PROOF IN THE CODE] is science writing at its best: technically precise, conceptually ambitious, and consistently accessible… . A rare achievement.” –Seth Mnookin, author of The Panic Virus

“Lean is one of the most important things happening to math right now–future generations may come to regard it as the Euclid’s Elements of our time. In THE PROOF IN THE CODE, Kevin Hartnett perfectly captures the unlikely story of Lean’s birth and development.” –Grant Sanderson, creator of 3Blue1Brown

“This weird and wonderful book … reveals why a technical idea hiding in plain sight could determine whether the machines we build will ever deserve our complete trust.” –Amy Webb, author of The Big Nine

”[THE PROOF IN THE CODE] is a must-read if you want to understand how machine-verifiable math is supercharging the next generation of AI.” –Anil Ananthaswamy, author of Why Machines Learn

“THE PROOF IN THE CODE is about the people building a new way of creating mathematics, their ambitions, their uncertainties, their false starts and long leaps. Highly recommended.” –Jordan Ellenberg, author of How Not to Be Wrong

Kevin Hartnett is a math and technology writer. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including Quanta Magazine, The Atlantic, The Boston Globe, WIRED, Nautilus, and Scientific American.

Previously, Hartnett served as the senior writer at Quanta Magazine, where he focused on mathematics and computer science. His writing has been featured in multiple installments of Princeton University Press’s “Best Writing on Mathematics” series.

From 2013 to 2016, he penned the weekly column “Brainiac” for The Boston Globe’s Ideas section. Hartnett resides in Yarmouth, Maine.

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