For well-established math, sure. We certainly will look for experimental mistakes, unnoticed observables (e.g. the hypothesized planet Vulcan to explain Mercury’s deviation from Newtonian gravity), and better theories in about that order. However for less well established mathematics at the frontiers we do consider the possibility that we’ve made a mistake somewhere.
Off the top of my head the biggest example I can think of was von Neumann’s proof that hidden variables were inconsistent with quantum mechanics, which was widely believed and cited at least into the 1980s, despite the fact that David Bohm published a consistent hidden variables theory of quantum mechanics in 1952. I’m curious if anyone can recall a case in which an experimental result led us to realize that a previously accepted mathematical “fact” was incorrect.
For well-established math, sure. We certainly will look for experimental mistakes, unnoticed observables (e.g. the hypothesized planet Vulcan to explain Mercury’s deviation from Newtonian gravity), and better theories in about that order. However for less well established mathematics at the frontiers we do consider the possibility that we’ve made a mistake somewhere.
Off the top of my head the biggest example I can think of was von Neumann’s proof that hidden variables were inconsistent with quantum mechanics, which was widely believed and cited at least into the 1980s, despite the fact that David Bohm published a consistent hidden variables theory of quantum mechanics in 1952. I’m curious if anyone can recall a case in which an experimental result led us to realize that a previously accepted mathematical “fact” was incorrect.
Here’s a whole gallery of math which we were later proven to be mistaken about.