The Collapse of Theorem Mercantilism: Did AI Just Destroy Math’s Ultimate Monopoly?
For decades, the mathematical world operated as a closed, elitist system where the currency was raw theorem-proving and extreme gatekeeping. AI is breaking this ‘theorem economy,’ devaluing raw proofs and exposing the field’s paradox of striving for understanding while refusing to be understood. The Collapse of Theorem Mercantilism forces a shift to genuine epistemic communication and raises chilling questions about non-human math.