Lately I've been thinking about the similarities between the abstraction that results from post-hoc software refactoring and post-hoc mathematical proof "refactoring". In both cases the refactoring is an attempt towards a more ideal form, but that form is almost always more impenetrable to newcomers.
E.g., a quote about the mathematician Carl Gauss:
> Gauss' writing style was terse, polished, and devoid of motivation. Abel said, `He is like the fox, who effaces his tracks in the sand with his tail'. Gauss, in defense of his style, said, `no self-respecting architect leaves the scaffolding in place after completing the building'.
E.g., a quote about the mathematician Carl Gauss:
> Gauss' writing style was terse, polished, and devoid of motivation. Abel said, `He is like the fox, who effaces his tracks in the sand with his tail'. Gauss, in defense of his style, said, `no self-respecting architect leaves the scaffolding in place after completing the building'.