Portal talk:Mathematics/Archive2011

Accessibility of the articles...

I have noticed in the past days that quite a few mathematical phenomenas can be explained in a simpler more formal language. I've seen the FAQ where it is stated that this is an encyclopedia rather than a pedagogical textbook. Nevertheless i, and many with me, feels the articles only lends themselves to people who already appreciates the subjects. Would the editorial community once again consider to add easier to understand descriptions, maybe as an own paragraph, sort of like "In laymans terms". I had for instance an experience where the Fourier transform was algorithmically explained to me using only plain english and multiplication in seven short sentences.

80.217.65.137 (talk) 10:16, 20 January 2011 (UTC)

Underdetermined system - Overdetermined system

Underdetermined system seems to be a copy of the article Overdetermined system. Problem was recognized by other people too, as is described in Talk:Underdetermined system. Because I cannot correct the whole article, I hope some one else can - otherwise it might be best to delete the whole example. Regards, --WissensDürster (talk) 09:21, 24 January 2011 (UTC) (knowledgethirster)

Hilbert_system

Hi

Any chance someone can take a look at this ?

I have replaced contradict tag with expert needed after the comments on the talk page Talk:Hilbert_system#Article_is_a_mess...

Chaosdruid (talk) 23:24, 2 February 2011 (UTC)

Portal:Mathematics/Featured article template has formatting issues with FA star

A feature of the Portal:Mathematics/Featured article template in which a File:Nuvola apps edu mathematics blue-p.svg icon is added into the title bar overlaps any GA/FA star or spoken version icon that may also be included in an article (like on 0.999... and Monty Hall problem). This is the same issue that was discussed on Template talk:Use British English#Formatting issues with FA star. As mentioned there, there is no code or script that currently exists that detects all the icons or title templates being used, and then adjusts their placement accordingly. The only options is either to move the math icon 80px or more away from the right edge of the page to clear any possible FA star/GA symbol, spoken article icon, and page protection padlock icon; or remove the math icon completely. Based on the consensus on that older discussion, I am removing the math icon for now. Cheers. Zzyzx11 (talk) 04:36, 15 May 2011 (UTC)

I think it would be nice to have something on the articles showing that they have been Selected/Featured. We could try indenting unless anyone has a better idea? ―JuPitEer (talk) 06:38, 17 May 2011 (UTC)

I think that area of the screen should be reserved for only a few items. The FA and GA symbols, and the spoken version symbol. Anything more risks confusing readers who have come to know what to expect when they look at the top-right hand corner (or where-ever the symbols display in various Wikimedia skins). So I think it should be removed altogether and possibly the subpage deleted. I've raised this issue here and

will notify the two editors above on their talk pages, as one removed the icon and the other restored it (while moving it over), so clearly some discussion is needed. Carcharoth (talk) 13:59, 25 June 2011 (UTC)

Featured articles must comply with MOS and community-wide consensus, not the whims of individual editors or WikiProjects. Please do not re-add this teemplate unless you gain wide consensus at WP:LAYOUT or WP:MOS. It breaches LAYOUT, and featured articles must comply with MOS. The template should be deleted. Try to imagine the mess we'd have if every WP claiming some FAs could add a portal link to the right hand top corner-- won't work. Portals belong in See Also, per LAYOUT. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 23:07, 25 June 2011 (UTC)

Help with a figure

Hello,

I recently uploaded a picture to QR decomposition. I had created it with Inkspace and it looked fine on my machine, but it's messed up on the website. You can look at my talk page to see the list of problems. I posted more information on User_talk:Joel_B._Lewis#QR_decomposition.

If you do fix it, can you let me know what I did wrong, so that I can fix it myself next time?

Thanks, Tony (talk) 15:51, 11 August 2011 (UTC)

2D Spheres?

In the DYK section it says: '...that you cannot knot strings in 4-dimensions? You can, however, knot 2-dimensional surfaces like spheres.' I've not heard of a 2D sphere before. Am I missing something? Harland1 (^t/_c) 00:02, 7 September 2011 (UTC)

Probably what you're missing is that, in mathematical usage, the word "sphere" refers specifically to the surface of a spherical ball. The surface is two-dimensional. The three-dimensional solid is called a "ball". --Trovatore (talk) 00:06, 7 September 2011 (UTC)

Upcoming featured pictures

I've created Portal:Mathematics/Upcoming featured pictures to try to encourage people to keep pictures "in the queue" for display as "Picture of the month" on this portal page. Three times in the last couple of years I've come here to find a big "redlink" under "Picture of the month", because no one had created a page for that month yet. Let's try to keep the queue filled at least a few months in advance, so that doesn't keep happening. I've suggested (on the page I linked to above) some places to find good images that haven't been featured yet. If someone has some better ideas, please add them to the list. And please help find good mathematics-related pictures to add to the queue! - dcljr (talk) 22:54, 2 November 2011 (UTC)

Reformatted the intro subpage

1. Updated intro text with current text from WP:LEAD from main article, Mathematics.
2. Added randomized intro image selection, for increased dynamism for the main portal page, with all free use images taken from main article, Mathematics.
3. Listed (no-transcluded) link to this intro image subpage on the intro page, at Portal:Mathematics/Intro/Image.
4. Kept the paragraph format from the WP:LEAD at main article, Mathematics.
5. Added categorization of the intro subpage to Category:Mathematics portal.

Cheers, — Cirt (talk) 23:46, 17 December 2011 (UTC)