Spaced proof review routine
Here are the basic steps I take for spaced proof review.
For each proof/exercise:
- Do the proof for the first time. This isn't any different from what people normally do when solving exercises out of a book, or when reading a proof in a book. You just read it or do it on a piece of paper. It's important to add the complete proof on proof cards to reduce friction when reviewing.
- Write up the proof as an Anki card.
- Do an empty review of proof cards immediately after adding to prevent backlog
Which proofs/exercises do I add as cards? I tend to prefer simple exercises and important exercises. If an exercise involves a lot of tedious detail, I tend to skip it (I might start making cards that just ask for the main point/insight for these tedious exercises).
Each day:
- Review all cards that are due (sometimes, if there are too many due cards, I will try to do some of them and leave the rest to the following day. There's a lot of variance in number of due cards per day because of the way Anki works.) When reviewing, I use actual paper and pencil, and write down the proof on paper. I use scratch paper that I throw away when I'm done reviewing. (Any new insight I get when reviewing should be added to the back side of the card or in some other long-term notes) When scoring, I usually only use "Again" and "Good" (i.e. no "Easy" or "Hard").
- If a proof I write down when reviewing is not the proof that's on the card, I take a moment to reflect on whether the new proof is correct. If it is, I write it up and add it to the back side of the card. (See spaced proof review as a way to invent novel proofs)
