Quanta Books

A Universe of Ideas

Quanta Books illuminates humanity’s quest to understand the universe. From the founding editor of Pulitzer Prize-winning Quanta Magazine. For curious readers everywhere.

the new quanta book cover with the logo on the blue background

Coming 2026

THE PROOF IN THE CODE is the definitive account of the birth and rise of Lean, a proof assistant developed at Microsoft that is transforming the enterprise of mathematics and ushering in a new era of human-computer collaboration. Although Lean was originally conceived of as a code-checking program, a small group of mathematicians recognized its potential to become something far more powerful: the “truth oracle” that thinkers have sought for centuries, a tool to definitively verify or refute any mathematical or logical assertion, no matter how complex. This is the story of the grassroots effort to make that dream a reality. Filled with insights about the future of math, computers, and AI, THE PROOF IN THE CODE is a brilliant work of journalism by Kevin Hartnett, a leading math writer whose research and reporting offer a profound answer to a longstanding mystery: Can computers reveal universal truths?

About Quanta Books

Our mission is to publish books that illuminate and elucidate the central questions and fundamental ideas of modern science for everyone. We believe that to be human is to seek understanding—our books invite a deeper understanding of the universe through artful storytelling that speaks to a shared sense of curiosity and wonder. In a noisy, entropic world, we aim to contribute meaningful signals that stand the test of time.

Launched by Thomas Lin, the founding editor of Quanta Magazine, in partnership with Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Quanta Books is an editorially independent subsidiary of the Simons Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences. We welcome queries from scientists, mathematicians, and journalists, including first-time authors.

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