Open-source software (OSS) has changed that: we now have access to millions of lines of code (of variable quality), which we can read, critique, and improve and from which we can learn. In fact, many of the social processes that have contributed to the success of mathematical theorems as a scientific communication vehicle apply to open-source software as well. Most open-source software programs have been
-
Documented, published, and reviewed in source code form
-
Discussed, internalized, generalized, and paraphrased
-
Used for solving real problems, often in conjunction with other programs
