What if the truth of a theorem reveals the exact axioms needed to prove it? In this episode we explore reverse mathematics, a program that starts from a theorem and asks: what is the minimal axiom system required in second-order arithmetic? We'll meet RCA0 as the computable baseline, see how many theorems align with WKL0, ACA0, ATR0, or Pi11-CA0, and examine famous examples like the intermediate value theorem and Heine–Borel. We'll unpack the two-step forward-and-reverse method—prove the theorem from a stronger system, then show the theorem implies that system in RCA0—and discuss how this gives a precise map of mathematical strength and its implications for computation and AI-assisted proof.

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