Ways to answer mathematical posts

  • Thread starter Stephen Tashi
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In summary, mathematics is meant to abstract essential features of a situation, but it is often not done when answering questions on forums. There are several patterns that can be followed when answering specific types of questions, such as re-direction, using Google or Wikipedia, asking for clarification, being suspicious of homework problems, using computer simulations, or providing high-level answers to low-level questions. However, it is important to be careful of aiding and abetting cheating and to avoid redundant answers.
  • #1
Stephen Tashi
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Mathematics is supposed to abstract the essential features of a situation. I have yet to see this done for the common task of answering a question about mathematics posted to the forum.

For questions of the form: "How do I do ... X ...?", I offer the following general general patterns.

Pattern 1: Re-direction
You don't want to do X. Whay you really should do is Y. Y is a lot simpler. Y is what a smart person like myself would do.

Pattern 2: Googleation
The wikippedia article on Z explains X. Or just Google on the words "Z X", you'll find thousands of references. That's what I did. (Of course I didn't read any of them to see if they actually answered your question.)

Pattern 3: Disambiguation
What you mean by "X"? Are your talking about "X1" or "X2" or some other kind of "X". You need to become an expert in order to ask a mathematical questions clearly. Why don't you study this awhile on your own?

Pattern 4: Suspicion
Is this a homework problem? What ways have you tried to do X. Show us your work. Sure it might take an hour or two to get all that typed up and submitted, but I have the time to wait.

Pattern 5: Let the computer do it
You might be able to do X, but I think it's very complicated and if I tried to do it, I'd probably make a mistake and look like an idiot. Why don't your try a Monte-Carlo simulation or put into Mathematica?
 
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  • #2
Why stop at answers?? Why not generalize the questions too??

Question type 1: The utterly clueless
Example: I want to solve the integral [itex]\int_0^{2\pi}{\cos(x)dx}[/itex]. I tried

[tex]\int_0^{2\pi}{\cos(x)dx}=\left[\frac{\sin(x)}{x}\right]_0^{2\pi}=\frac{\sin(2\pi)}{2\pi}-\frac{\sin(0)}{0}=\sin-\sin=0[/tex]

Wolfram alpha says I'm correct, but my professor says that it's wrong. Is my professor an idiot??

Question type 2: Too general questions
Example: I don't really understand quantum mechanics. Can anybody explain this too me??

Question type 3: Too specific questions
Example: I want to find the Q-cohomology group of the twisted etale sheaf. Perhaps we can use the vector bundle fibration with respect to the free group on 5 elements? Any ideas?

Question type 4: The lazy
Example: I want to find the roots to the polynomial [itex]x^2+x+1=0[/itex]. Can anybody help me. This assignment is due in 1 hour. Please help me now!
 
  • #3
micromass said:
Why stop at answers?? Why not generalize the questions too??

Question type 1: The utterly clueless
Example: I want to solve the integral [itex]\int_0^{2\pi}{\cos(x)dx}[/itex]. I tried

[tex]\int_0^{2\pi}{\cos(x)dx}=\left[\frac{\sin(x)}{x}\right]_0^{2\pi}=\frac{\sin(2\pi)}{2\pi}-\frac{\sin(0)}{0}=\sin-\sin=0[/tex]

Wolfram alpha says I'm correct, but my professor says that it's wrong. Is my professor an idiot??

Question type 2: Too general questions
Example: I don't really understand quantum mechanics. Can anybody explain this too me??

Question type 3: Too specific questions
Example: I want to find the Q-cohomology group of the twisted etale sheaf. Perhaps we can use the vector bundle fibration with respect to the free group on 5 elements? Any ideas?

Question type 4: The lazy
Example: I want to find the roots to the polynomial [itex]x^2+x+1=0[/itex]. Can anybody help me. This assignment is due in 1 hour. Please help me now!
LOL!

I love the ones that say NEED HELP NOW! Then attach a photocopy of a long list of problems and say "be specific with your answers and put them in the following format..." Then an hour later "you people SUCK, I need these answers NOW!"
 
  • #4
Pattern 6: PhD level answer to a high school level question.
This question is trivially answered if you look at from the perspective of a Grothendieck topology1. Why didn't you use that approach?

1 I haven't the foggiest what a Grothendieck topology is. I used "Pattern 2: Googleation" to find the term. It wasn't hard; one nice thing about wikipedia articles is that so many of them rely heavily on Pattern 6.

However,
Stephen Tashi said:
Pattern 4: Suspicion
Is this a homework problem? What ways have you tried to do X. Show us your work. Sure it might take an hour or two to get all that typed up and submitted, but I have the time to wait.
There's a good reason for this pattern. Some students cheat. Providing answers to the "do my homework for me" type posts is aiding and abetting, and it is a disservice to the teachers and to the many students who don't cheat.
 
  • #5
micromass said:
Why stop at answers?? Why not generalize the questions too??

Question type 5: The Software Handicap

My company has received a contract to build the first commercial boron fusion reactor and I have been assigned to produce a detailed simulation of the fusion process and its effect on the containment chamber. How can I do this in an Excel spreadsheet?
 
  • #6
Question type 6: Nice problem!

The OP has a really interesting problem that triggers you to do some research.
You post back and he understands perfectly what you write and takes it to the next level.
To top it off he's really appreciative, which makes you smile. :smile:
 
  • #7
Pattern 4: Suspicion
Is this a homework problem? What ways have you tried to do X. Show us your work. Sure it might take an hour or two to get all that typed up and submitted, but I have the time to wait.

D H said:
There's a good reason for this pattern. Some students cheat. Providing answers to the "do my homework for me" type posts is aiding and abetting, and it is a disservice to the teachers and to the many students who don't cheat.

But it really does take that long take that long to enter the problem and the work. Surely that amount of effort deserves a helpful answer.
 
  • #8
Pattern 7: is that a typo?
Sorry but your whole answer (and the answers offered by the other members) is wrong. Clearly when you wrote f/x) you meant f(x) but until you fix that typo we have to assume f is a variable and it's being divided by x.

Pattern 8: redundant answer
Totally ignoring the fine answers already given, and the OP's acknowledgment of completion of the problem, this answer provides information that is already given, or at best, a new way to get the same answer.
 
  • #9
ArcanaNoir said:
But it really does take that long take that long to enter the problem and the work. Surely that amount of effort deserves a helpful answer.

Thinking about a problem, working out the solution, typing up a helpful answer takes just as long! And we have nothing to gain with it, we do it in our free time! Surely that amount of effort deserves the courtesy to type up the work and to think a bit before posting.
 
  • #10
I like Serena said:
Question type 6: Nice problem!

The OP has a really interesting problem that triggers you to do some research.
You post back and he understands perfectly what you write and takes it to the next level.
To top it off he's really appreciative, which makes you smile. :smile:

Question type 6a: Nice problem!

The OP has a really interesting problem that triggers you to do some research.
You post back and it falls into an echoless void, you never hear anything more. Or maybe something and reply to the reply falls into the void.

Except maybe the same OP posts another problem maybe in same general area, you post back and the same thing happens again.

Maybe after a bit of this you don't post back though. :grumpy:
 
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  • #11
ArcanaNoir said:
But it really does take that long take that long to enter the problem and the work. Surely that amount of effort deserves a helpful answer.
You should see the stuff that we mentors reject. Based on a real example:

anonymous user said:

Homework Statement


The figures below show ... [majority of problem satement elided]
You may assume that gravity (g = 9.8 m/s2 )
is acting downward in the figure.

Homework Equations


Conservation of Energy

The Attempt at a Solution

Based on way the question is formatted, it was quite obvious that in this case the student simply copied the question from an e-book and pasted it into our homework template. The relevant equation was obviously the first thing that came to the student's mind. No attempt whatsoever at a solution. How much effort did that take? 30 seconds, maybe?
 
  • #12
D H said:
You should see the stuff that we mentors reject. Based on a real example:


Based on way the question is formatted, it was quite obvious that in this case the student simply copied the question from an e-book and pasted it into our homework template. The relevant equation was obviously the first thing that came to the student's mind. No attempt whatsoever at a solution. How much effort did that take? 30 seconds, maybe?

I didn't mean everybody, I only meant me :p
 
  • #13
epenguin said:
Question type 6a: Nice problem!

The OP has a really interesting problem that triggers you to do some research.
You post back and it falls into an echoless void, you never hear anything more. Or maybe something and reply to the reply falls into the void.

Except maybe the same OP posts another problem maybe in same general area, you post back and the same thing happens again.

Maybe after a bit of this you don't post back though. :grumpy:

Yes, I've had that too! :rofl:

However, in one particular thread there were follow-ups by 2 different new posters!
Those posters had a similar problem and found my feedback helpful and had additional questions to ask.
So an echo-less problem turned out to be quite satisfying!
 
  • #14
micromass said:
Question type 2: Too general questions
Example: I don't really understand quantum mechanics. Can anybody explain this too me??

Since, in another thread, the issue of not many questions about discrete math came up, I'll add one with an example of this question type:

Can someone briefly explain the proof of the classification of finite simple groups?
 
  • #15
twisted individuals.
 
  • #16
Question type 4a: The grammatically/punctuation/typing lazy.
Example:
hypothetical said:

Homework Statement


find the magnitude F of 2 protons 1 m apart

Homework Equations



The Attempt at a Solution


when i try 2 simplify F=1/4piee0 1.6 10-19^2/1^2 i get 6.67577433610-29 but my teacher says z answer is 2.3010-28 I've trid putting n my calculator twice but i go z same answer gain do u think my calculator broken?
 
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1. What are some common ways to answer mathematical posts?

Some common ways to answer mathematical posts include providing step-by-step solutions, using visual aids like graphs or diagrams, using relevant examples, and explaining the reasoning behind the solution.

2. How can I make my mathematical answers more clear and concise?

To make your mathematical answers more clear and concise, try to use simple and precise language, break down complex concepts into smaller steps, and use relevant mathematical notation. Additionally, providing a summary or conclusion at the end can help clarify your solution.

3. Is it important to show my work when answering mathematical posts?

Yes, it is important to show your work when answering mathematical posts. This not only helps the person asking the question understand your solution, but it also allows for others to review and provide feedback on your approach.

4. Are there any online resources that can help me answer mathematical posts?

Yes, there are many online resources that can help you answer mathematical posts. Some popular ones include Wolfram Alpha, Math Stack Exchange, and Khan Academy. These resources can provide step-by-step solutions, explanations, and even interactive tools for solving mathematical problems.

5. How can I effectively communicate my mathematical reasoning in written form?

To effectively communicate your mathematical reasoning in written form, it is important to organize your thoughts and use logical and coherent arguments. You can also use bullet points or numbered lists to break down your reasoning into smaller chunks. Additionally, providing examples and visual aids can help make your explanation clearer.

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