HACKER Q&A
📣 amichail

Why aren’t leaky abstractions considered bad practice in mathematics?


In particular, why don’t mathematicians do a better job of hiding algorithms so that one can apply mathematics without knowing the underlying procedures?

Computers can execute mathematical algorithms, and you shouldn’t need to know how they work.

It seems that software engineering has been more successful at hiding leaky abstractions.

  👤 bigyabai Accepted Answer ✓
Abstraction is a disadvantage in matters concerning empiricism. This is as true for computers that hide their algorithms as mathematicians who won't show their math.
👤 Jtsummers
Can you point out some examples? Or are these hypothetical leaky abstractions?