We discuss the advantages of searchable, collaborative, language-independent
databases of mathematical results, indexed by "fingerprints" of small and
canonical data. Our motivating example is Neil Sloane's massively influential
On-Line Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences. We hope to encourage the greater
mathematical community to search for the appropriate fingerprints within each
discipline, and to compile fingerprint databases of results wherever possible.
The benefits of these databases are broad - advancing the state of knowledge,
enhancing experimental mathematics, enabling researchers to discover unexpected
connections between areas, and even improving the refereeing process for
journal publication.Comment: to appear in Notices of the AM