# How do mathematicians read and understand long and involved equations/proofs?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mathematicians-read-and-understand-long-and-involved-equations-proofs/678248>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 8, 2014, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mathematicians-read-and-understand-long-and-involved-equations-proofs/678248 "2014-01-08T05:04:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mathematicians-read-and-understand-long-and-involved-equations-proofs/678248/21 "2014-01-10T15:34:21Z")

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On the other hand, that same “fencing match” in a physics class would probably get nothing but a mumbled response of “Oh, thanks, that’s what I meant”, and it wouldn’t have gone any further than that.

We physicists do need a few mathematicians to keep us honest.

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