User talk:Guy vandegrift

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moves
I reverted two of your moves, as these pages are included in a course and why should they be under the name of some user? Best regards, Bocardodarapti (discuss • contribs) 09:25, 30 December 2023 (UTC)
 * My apologies! I am helping a crew attempting to clean up Wikiversity and it was put up for deletion.  In a twisted sort of way, you could say I "rescued" it by moving it into user space.  But I should have been more attentive and simply removed the deletion template.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 12:22, 30 December 2023 (UTC)
 * This is why Dave and I prefer  to , and why I like to move pages to userspace.  Moving the page to userspace meant Bocardodarapti could instantly revert my mistake. Our most valuable "customers" are teachers who bring students to Wikiversity, and I hope some of these students become editors.  It's almost impossible to distinguish a newbie student from a crackpot editor.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 12:58, 30 December 2023 (UTC)
 * I generally support (do not oppose) moving pages to user space rather than deleting them, although for some low-grade material that is rather too kind. But I do not oppose acts of kindness as long as the impact is only on user space. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 13:04, 30 December 2023 (UTC)
 * About the specific page, Pi/Real cosine function/Definition has no business in the mainspace: it cannot be more useless. I support speedy deletion or moving it to user space. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 13:05, 30 December 2023 (UTC)
 * For the record, I was wrong about Pi/Real cosine function/Definition, as per Colloquium. The page is a rather small module transcluded elsewhere, e.g. from Mathematics for Applied Sciences (Osnabrück 2023-2024)/Part I/Lecture 16. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 07:02, 31 December 2023 (UTC)

Files Missing Information
Thanks for uploading files to Wikiversity. All files must have source and license information to stay at Wikiversity. The following files are missing and/or License tags, and will be deleted if the missing information is not added. See Uploading files for more information.


 * File:Piano Prelude in C by Johann Sebastian Bach.pdf

MaintenanceBot (discuss • contribs) 18:20, 1 January 2024 (UTC)

Files on Commons
 Hi! Perhaps you could have a look at the files in Category:NowCommons? I think many of the files in Category:Files from USGS can be moved to Commons (if not allready there). It would be easier if the files allready there are deleted. --MGA73 (discuss • contribs) 21:18, 6 January 2024 (UTC)
 * While I contribute a lot to Commons, it's all my work. For that reason I know almost nothing about image copyright policy or fair use. Do you want me to delete image files on Wikiversity? I can do that if they are not currently being used.


 * I did remove File:Uganda field trials2 lo.jpg after verifying that it is the same on commons and not being used on Wikiversity--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 21:59, 6 January 2024 (UTC)


 * Hi! If the file in on Commons you can delete the local file. Unless you think that it is a mistake that the file is on Commons. If the file have a different name on Commons then the pages where the local file is edited should be changed so they use the version on Commons first. --MGA73 (discuss • contribs) 11:53, 7 January 2024 (UTC)


 * There are also some files in Category:Files from Flickr that I'm trying to get moved to Commons. --MGA73 (discuss • contribs) 12:36, 7 January 2024 (UTC)


 * Due to my lack of experience and knowledge regarding the hosting of images by Wikiversity, I will refer this matter to Request custodian action.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 23:06, 7 January 2024 (UTC)

Thanks
Hey Guy, thanks for salvaging some of my work some time ago. A while ago I found WV too tension-ridden to practically develop a course. I am planning to try again.Leutha (discuss • contribs) 16:18, 16 February 2024 (UTC)
 * You are welcome. I am still trying to salvage the work of people who take wikibreaks. See Colloquium-Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 16:30, 16 February 2024 (UTC)

Thank you for all the work
Let me thank you for all the work you are doing here to help cleanup Wikiversity, striking a balance between kindness and cleanup. In so far as other admins do not seem to do as much, it is unique service. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 15:46, 22 February 2024 (UTC)

Offensive username
Dear custodian,

Your words :

*  See also Bona dea  

Username policy :

"Names of religious figures such as "God", "Jehovah", "Buddha", "Allah", or "Bonadea" which may offend other people's beliefs"

Please send a post to user user:bonadea talk page ,advise him change username.

Dear Prof. Guy Vandegrift
I am grateful for your great work in Wikiversity, a fantastic tool for development of science. Unfortunately I am blocked in "Remission of prediabetes" what can i do? Thank you very much! "Saltrabook" Dr. Olaf Jensen, prof. emer. University of Southern Denmark ocj@health.sdu.dk Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 14:51, 1 March 2024 (UTC)


 * I think you are just blocked from creating pages. You create pages at such a high rate you must by copying and translating, which is a copyright violation. Also, this many page creations is  disruptive to Wikiversity.  Don't worry, we will work this through together.  My understanding is that you want to create the page Remission of prediabetes, right?--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 14:54, 1 March 2024 (UTC)
 * My understanding is that you want to create the page Remission of prediabetes, right?--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 14:54, 1 March 2024 (UTC). Yes, "Remission of prediabetes" is a precise main page name, I am sorry, I have to learn when can i start? Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 16:19, 2 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Our concern is that you are creating a large number of pages, and they disrupt our wiki. Are you copying these pages or using a translation software program to create them?--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 16:22, 2 March 2024 (UTC)

MATLAB/Octave
Do you think it would be a good idea to restore MATLAB/Octave (deleted in 2021) and move it to Draft:Archive/2024/MATLAB/Octave? I could then have a glance at it and see whether anything could be salvaged for GNU Octave page. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 09:22, 3 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I undeleted it. It was I who deleted with comment to the effect that there are too many errors for me to fix.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 14:23, 3 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Thank you. I did not realize you were the author of the "MATLAB/Octave" page. There does not seem to be any material usable for GNU Octave: the bulk of the page is about installing Octave, then there is a short guide to Unix/Linux commands (help, cd, dir, mkdir, rmdir), etc. But almost nothing on Octave per se.
 * Should I moved it to Draft:Archive/2024 or do you want to have it deleted again? (I am fine with both.) --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 14:42, 3 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I know I deleted it, but don't remember why. I will go ahead and re-delete.  Thanks for looking into that. Also, I have an important question: How did you know that the page even existed if it was deleted? --Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 15:22, 3 March 2024 (UTC)
 * The MATLAB/Octave page was a redlink in MATLAB before I edited MATLAB to remove the redlink. It is still a redlink (currently blue) in Physics equations/07-Work and Energy/Q:cart1/history. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 15:33, 3 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Thanks. I should have thought of that as the most likely explanation.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 15:38, 3 March 2024 (UTC)
 * correct, Danish mother language, med dr. specialist dr. in occupational medicine and 32 years in maritime pub.health occupational medical research in the University Southern Denmark, latest 18 year mainly living in Panama working with Spanish speaking people. I started the Occupational Medical Wikibook, now finished, 10 years ago to fill out the lack of occupational medicine textbook in Panama. Would be grateful if I could have access to the blocked pages on "Prediabetes remission" then i would locate them all in the new space, have no personal things to hide, my name is not to hide. Thank you for all your help Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 21:46, 6 March 2024 (UTC)

special:redirect/logid/3389938
Please check if you moved to the right namespace. Did you mean to move into userspace? MathXplore (discuss • contribs) 02:58, 5 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Yes, of course. Thanks for catching that. P.S. I like the economy of your link  . Where can I find a list of such tricks? (I would have had to use an external link)--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 03:02, 5 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I think w:Help:Special_page can help you. MathXplore (discuss • contribs) 03:14, 5 March 2024 (UTC)

Request from Saltrabook to move large project into draftspace
Hello Guy, please establish one main page as you offered, "Prediabetes diagnostics and remission", and move my blocked pages to that one, thank you very much--Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 16:49, 9 March 2024 (UTC)
 * It's not really my decision. Wikiversity is a quasi-democracy and we need the consent of something we call "the community". I will set up your user page so that you can use the pages you already created.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 17:52, 9 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Thank you very much, perfect Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 18:04, 10 March 2024 (UTC)


 * See user:Saltrabook for your current project. I has several nearly blank pages for you to work on.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 17:09, 9 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Please delete these or ask for deletion, of all nearly empty page, sorry for these problems, thank you very much Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 17:35, 10 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I thought you might like those pages for your work. It is better to write a few long pages than lots of little ones.  If it's OK with you, I would like to keep those pages where they are.  You might change your mind and write something on them.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 02:59, 11 March 2024 (UTC)

Here is a list of pages where you can continue to work. When a page is complete, let me know and I will rename it.


 * 1) User:Saltrabook/empty page-1
 * 2) User:Saltrabook/empty page-2
 * 3) User:Saltrabook/empty-page 3
 * 4) User:Saltrabook/empty-page 4
 * 5) User:Saltrabook/empty-page 5
 * 6) User:Saltrabook/sandbox

Please try and write large pages. Too many pages on this topic is disruptive to our wiki.19:25, 14 March 2024 (UTC)

Reconstruction of the delete pages
sorry, i dont think I can reconstruct these pages except for one, the manuscript under submission to publication, Prediabetes remission to normoglycemic status. Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 13:30, 16 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Where was it submitted? It would help if I knew why you can't reconstruct it: Did you discard your own copy of the draft when you submitted it? Or, do the journal's rules prohibit you from posting a submitted article due to copyright law?--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 13:40, 16 March 2024 (UTC)

Original writings,
I am the author, I dont use translating software and no copy of previous published material. Sometimes i cite my own writings in the published scientific articles, but very little. Now going through the list of pages and add db-author at the top - i have to be better to clean up - thank you Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 19:34, 18 March 2024 (UTC)
 * DO NOT ADD db-author TO YOUR PAGES!!!!! They are deletion requests.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 20:54, 18 March 2024 (UTC)

Draft:Archive/2024/Institut Teknologi PLN
With respect to Request_custodian_action/Archive/25, PROD should have been processed rather than archiving the page. MathXplore (discuss • contribs) 05:29, 19 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Two questions:
 * Do you want me to put it back into mainspace with the same prod? (If so, I will)
 * (to be continued after I checkout what happened)--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 05:41, 19 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I think non-English content should not be moved to the mainspace, so it should remain in the current position with the prod. MathXplore (discuss • contribs) 05:44, 19 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I will move it back, but according to 2572456], the expiration for deletion was today. Following previous practice, I thought that allowed a deletion. Do you want to change things; or am I wrong about previous practice?--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 05:49, 19 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Please feel free to delete the page, I don't think anyone else is working on the translation. MathXplore (discuss • contribs) 05:56, 19 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Also, I am confused about your terminology. It's in draftspace, not mainspace. Perhaps you meant to say that the prod should not have been dewikified.  Are you saying that you want the prod to remain while it is in draft-archive space? I can do that.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 05:52, 19 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I apologize if my words have caused any confusion. Yes, I just wanted to say that the prod should not be dewikified. MathXplore (discuss • contribs) 05:57, 19 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Keep in mind that the entire Draft:Archive "resource" is just an experiment. The question of whether prods should be deleted was never sorted out in my mind. Keeping the prods in place makes for a cleaner Draft:Archive-space.  But it also adds work for us.  I thinking somebody might make a bot to dewikify all links and all templates. That would make Draft:Archive-space sterile.  We could even have a bot that blanked all pages that are over 2 years old. ... The idea is that draft-archive-space would be essentially equivalent to outright deletion, except that all users could veiw and effectively "undelete".  Such a policy makes no sense on Wikipedia, where the goal is to create a useful encyclopedia.  But Wikiversity's mission is to allow people to learn.  And most of us learn by making mistakes.  That means our mistakes should never truly be deleted (just hidden from view.) ... P.S. Don't worry, I have a lot of strange ideas.  But I don't fight for them. Henceforth prods will remain active for pages in draft-archive space.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 06:10, 19 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I will delete Draft:Archive/2024/Institut Teknologi PLN. The page is not important. It's the policy that is important.  The "mistake" of not writing in English is not worth preserving for the benefit of authors who want to re-examine how they approach the art of writing.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 06:15, 19 March 2024 (UTC)

CFC talkback
MathXplore (discuss • contribs) 03:06, 20 March 2024 (UTC)

Surreal numbers
Greetings. I am not clear why you are removing the page from RFD before the RFD run its course. Surely whether the page should be moved out of mainspace should depend on what kind of consensus emerges from the RFD? And before the RFD is closed, the page should remain tagged with ? --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 11:01, 26 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Are you talking about the pages that I archived and mentioned at Requests_for_Deletion? --Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 11:08, 26 March 2024 (UTC)
 * No, I am talking about removal of that took place in Special:Diff/2615731/2615793, which took place despite the RFD not yet being closed/resolved (my message was a bit confusing: the page was not fully removed from RFD but only as for removal of the template). --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 11:15, 26 March 2024 (UTC)
 * With only a single author, the choices are keep, subpagify, or delete. The pages will likely become mathematics subpages and I will bring the matter up on appropriate mathematics talk pages. But both pages are sufficiently related to physics that they can go into Physics/Essays.  I don't need permission from the community to put a page under Physics because that is my specialty. I changed the rfd template because there is no reason for rfd to be involved.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 11:43, 26 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Does it mean that you can single-handedly close a RFD nomination as "rejected" without waiting for the result of the discussion? I did not nominate the page for RFD only to have it kept in mainspace. And if there is a disagreement about what should happen to the page--as seems to be the case--that is all the more reason to run the RFD process. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 11:51, 26 March 2024 (UTC)
 * It means exactly that your RFD nomination was "rejected" without waiting for the result of the discussion. I also reverted your rfd on Rational numbers/Introduction. The author in question also created the top page, and Bureaucrat Dave Braunschweig apparently consented. The community can revert Dave's decision. But you cannot.Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 12:47, 26 March 2024 (UTC)

Prediabetes Remission
Guy, please, can you help to create a new main page entitled "Prediabetes Remission" without "maritime", for use with other transport sectors, e.g. truckers, taxi drivers etc. jobs with biannual medical health examination, to identify those with an A1C level of 39-47 mmol/L (5.7%-6.4%) (prediabetes) who are not (yet) taking medication for diabetes, thank you Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 19:53, 29 March 2024 (UTC)

Here it is User:Saltrabook/Prediabetes Remission

It can be moved to Prediabetes Remission but that requires going though a committee.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 21:02, 29 March 2024 (UTC)

Differential equations/Ordinary Differential Equations
I will not send this page to RFD to reduce conflict, by to my mind, this page is clearly junk. One should be able to understand what this page is about without reading its parent page. The page is all too typical of Wikiversity: no sources, no definitions, a haphazard/incoherent collection of sentences and this junk is supposed to be "learning material". --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 14:31, 31 March 2024 (UTC)
 * This edit makes no sense to me.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 16:21, 31 March 2024 (UTC)

Possible deletion overload
If I am overloading you by deletion nominations, one remedy could be that I would take longer breaks in making them. Thus, there would be longer sequences of days during which I make no nominations, especially do not hit "Random" button to find more junk. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 15:04, 31 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Why don't you create a page somewhere and simply list the pages you think we should delete? We no idea when WV is going to formulate an updated deletion policy. And, if another custodian wishes to moderate the deletions, I will be happy to step aside. Then you can bring up your list.  Place the list wherever you wish, but I suggest WV:WGW2024--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 15:24, 31 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I am confused about your statements about need to update policy. Since, I am proceeding in accordance with the current guidelines (some do not have "policy" status) that I can find, including WV:Deletions, WV:Verifiability and WV:What is Wikiversity?. You make it sound as if we need to wait for some kind of policy update, and I am not clear what you mean. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 15:31, 31 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I don't have a good answer to your question. Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 15:35, 31 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Hey, I just had a better idea: I will create the "personal subpage" with a name like "Proposed deletions". Then all deletion requests based on low quality can go there, temporarily. That resolution will allow me to remove the stuff posted at Request custodian action Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 15:32, 31 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I think I am better served by stepping back from deletions for a week or two rather than starting to do something nonstandard. I am puzzled why the things standard in the English Wiktionary and the English Wikipedia are supposed not to work in the English Wikiversity. It is as if there were some kind of RFD-phobia, something unseen in the English Wiktionary. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 15:34, 31 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I think the problem is that Wikiversity has never had a clear mission. It's name sounds like the mission of a conventional University, but universities do everything: Childhood education, football games, poetry, art, student essays, student newspapers, you-name-it.  The original plan was to host teaching materials for people to share.  And, "reasearch" is hard to define.  Maybe Student Projects is a research project into how students write.  My "call-for-essays" on a page you tried to delete certainly was research into how we can get more students involved with Wikiversity.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 15:41, 31 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Does the above really match WV:Deletions, WV:Verifiability and WV:What is Wikiversity? ? --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 15:51, 31 March 2024 (UTC)
 * I don't have time to read those pages now.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 16:29, 31 March 2024 (UTC)

Regarding Genetics/Human Leukocyte Antigen/Linkage Disequilibrium/DR-DQ Blocks
Dear Mr. Guy Vandegrift,

According to the log file for the page Genetics/Human Leukocyte Antigen/Linkage Disequilibrium/DR-DQ Blocks - Wikiversity, you deleted it 21 December 2022. I work in a lab which performs blood tests for celiac disease and we used this page periodically in our assessments of genetic risk for celiac disease, in order to see repported haplotypes. Could you please reactivate the page, if possible, or provide us a copy of it? Thank you in advance!

Best regards,

Nicolae Miron MD Nicolae.Miron (discuss • contribs) 11:16, 2 April 2024 (UTC)

change main page name
Im sorry, i dont understand, why i cannot change the main page. We need to change the main page name to "Pre-diabetes Remission-Net" as we expand our activites to include other than the maritime area to be stronger in research and intervention practice with other researchers and occupational health practicers e.g. the Truck-drivers Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 16:59, 2 April 2024 (UTC)


 * Is this what you want?
 * User:Saltrabook/Pre-diabetes Remission-Net
 * Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 19:04, 2 April 2024 (UTC)
 * Yes, please, this is what i want, then the original title with "Maritime Health Research and Education" will be a subtitle. Thank you very much Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 22:00, 2 April 2024 (UTC)
 * Let me know if you need anything else. Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 22:12, 2 April 2024 (UTC)

Number Theory/Surreal numbers
"Surreal numbers" are misplaced since "number theory", despite its name, does not concern itself with any and all numbers but rather with positive integers. The move of Surreal numbers is therefore not only unnecessary/unhelpful but also incorrect. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 06:23, 3 April 2024 (UTC)
 * I see your point. I will move it back to Surreal numbers ... Actually, the topic more resembles set theory, or perhaps an alternative view of numerical analysis.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 11:20, 3 April 2024 (UTC)
 * (A non-actionable aside) At the university where I studied, if this was covered at all, it would have probably been covered in set theory classes since set-theoretic construction of rational numbers was covered there. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 12:24, 3 April 2024 (UTC)

More on Surreal numbers: I think using chatbots to write articles to "save" them is a poor plan. Mistakes are likely to be countless. Here is one: "Real numbers is defined to include positive and negative rational numbers (p/q where p and q are integers), as well as irrational numbers (π and 21/2), but with a twist: Also included are not one, but an infinite number of infinities, along with a similar collection of "zeros", often called ε (in the limit that ε→0.)" Well, you mean "Real numbers" --> "Surreal numbers", right? --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 12:55, 3 April 2024 (UTC)


 * That wasn't the chatbot. That was my writing, and I agree that it is garbled. Chatbots don't make mistakes like this. If you want to see the chatbot's words, visit Chatbot math/Gemini/24.03/Surreal numbers. Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 13:34, 3 April 2024 (UTC)
 * Ah, that makes sense. Incidentally, is Chatbot math/Gemini/24.03/Surreal numbers a correct location or does it belong to Gemini? --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 14:07, 3 April 2024 (UTC)
 * Thanks. I moved it to Gemini... Also, the problem with Chatbots on Wikiversity isn't low quality, but the ability to create too much prose and too many pages. A student who writes on bad essay that goes into a collection of bad essays does not much hurt WV.  It's the students who creates hundreds of pages, uploads thousands of files, or creates megabytes of text that overwhelms the system.  A student who writes one short essay has a non-zero probability of coming back to it and learn.  The student who writes reams of prose will never re-read it and never learn from the experience.--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 14:51, 3 April 2024 (UTC)

Prediabetes Remission-Net
Please create a new page, Prediabetes Remission-Net and dono replace "Maritime Research and Education-Net (Mahre-Net) stay untuched. thank you very much Saltrabook (discuss • contribs) 17:59, 3 April 2024 (UTC)

Here is your new page:
 * User:Saltrabook/Prediabetes Remission-Net
 * --Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 20:55, 3 April 2024 (UTC)

Bureaucratship
Per Candidates for Custodianship, you are now a bureaucrat. Congratulations! -- Dave Braunschweig (discuss • contribs) 02:00, 8 June 2024 (UTC)

Congratulations! Please feel free to reach out to me if you'd like any advice. --mikeu talk 14:01, 11 June 2024 (UTC)

I think we should keep our eyes on User:Username142857
Thank you for choosing to join the bureaucrat team. I was recently sending messages to User talk:Username142857 and I noticed that you have already communicated with them in the past. I want you to note that User:Username142857 has more issues apart from page creation. I have already explained to them, but if you have anything else to add, that may be helpful for User:Username142857. Thank you for your contributions. MathXplore (discuss • contribs) 03:27, 9 June 2024 (UTC)


 * I just now examined enough of your interactions with them to agree with you. The problem of too many questions might be solved by a topic ban on Wikiversity discussions. On the creation of marginal pages, we have a plethora of options.  And this user is only a microscopically small fraction of that problem. I will monitor this user's contributions and will let you know if I have any ideas. Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 04:43, 9 June 2024 (UTC)

Plausible yet untrue
I propose to remove the following statement from mainspace:


 * "If a mathematical statement is both plausible and useful, I honestly don't care if it is true."

It is a dangerous statement, expressing a dangerously cavalier attitude toward mathematical truth. I personally got burned by reaching a mistaken conclusion about a particular mathematical hypothesis by abandoning the mathematical rigor; although my attitude was not that truth does not matter but rather that in that case the less than rigorous argument was sufficient to establish the truth, which it was not. That is not to say that intuitive arguments and plausibility checks never have value, but rather that in case of doubt, at least checking a reliable source is the minimum one should do, even if one does not try to follow the proof.

Using the above attitude, one may naively peruse e.g. Google's Gemini, make it output "useful" somewhat plausible statements, and end up in error real fast. --Dan Polansky (discuss • contribs) 04:48, 13 June 2024 (UTC)


 * A good example is the dirac delta function, which is not a function and cannot be graphed. Yet, by sketching a graph you can "prove" that $\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \delta'(x)dx =-f'(0).$ It is entirely plausible that this result was known before a proper definition of this distribution was established. A better example is probably renormalization theory. I am pretty sure it was being used in physics before it was fully understood. To your point, however, "I honestly don't care..."should probably be replaced by "I usually don't care...".  Also, I purposely placed that sentence at the top as a warning to the reader not to make the mistake you alluded to.


 * It's an educational resource -- sort of "research for students". When it is finished, I plan to introduce the term  Conjecture?: ' in place of postulates, theorems, and corollaries''.  Each "Conjecture?" would contain a link to a page where students could discuss its veracity.  After drifting between research jobs, I finally landed a teaching position where I could apply for a grant to build a plasma device with students.  That induced me to look back on research that was done many years ago on the same subject.  I was shocked that in retrospect, almost most publications back then were highly flawed.  Maybe computer science is more precise, because it is usually obvious when computer code doesn't work.  But with attempts to predict the behavior of a magnetically confined plasma, most predictions are wrong.


 * One more thing: Cable news in the US is plagued by commentators pretending to be newscasters making claims like "People are saying that this person is ..." This is a serious problem that threatens our democracy. But surreal number theory has often be called "recreational math". It's supposed to be fun.

It's nice to hear from you!--Guy vandegrift (discuss • contribs) 14:42, 13 June 2024 (UTC)