Below are answers to frequently asked questions about the corresponding page Mathematics. They address concerns, questions, and misconceptions which have repeatedly arisen on the talk page. Please feel free to change this material in light of new discussion.

Article style conventions[edit]

What citations style are you using?[edit]

The citation style we are aiming for is the one used in the 0.999... article. The inline citations are either an author's name, or a quote with the author's name and the references contains the work. This approach is nice because it puts the references in one place and it removes clutter from the body of the article. It is also easy to cite a work multiple times with different page numbers. The order and naming of the end sections follow Wikipedia:Guide_to_layout#Standard_appendices.

The citation style is a slightly modified form of Harvard referencing.

At what technical level is the article written?[edit]

This article is an overview of mathematics that introduces all of its branches. Branch articles get progressively more technical as they become more specific.

Article contents[edit]

Why don't you give a proper definition of math as a science like the Encyclopaedia Britannica?[edit]

Whether math is a science is an issue that does not need to be treated in the lead section; we can just choose a neutral word, like "study" or "discipline", and defer the question to later in the article. The question whether mathematics is a science or not has been argued over for a long time:

New Questions[edit]

Ask a question, by starting a new discussion topic. This part of the page should be seen as a normal discussion page, the answer is then summarized and added to the FAQ above.

What is a notable theorem or conjecture?[edit]

A theorem or conjecture is notable if it should be mentioned in a general encyclopedia.
It is one that has been mentioned in the news or is taught in schools in a standard curriculum.
It is one that has historical significance or is associated with interesting personalities.
It is one for which a prize has been awarded.

My conern for including this in the FAQ is that it isn't currently about any section in the Mathematics article. It might be a good idea to include some notable results, but I want to focus on a new editor FAQ. --Vesal 19:05, 4 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I commonly have to look up info in WP:HELP because I can't remember something. I am likely to soon forget the name of the citations style we are using, and would go to the FAQ_{(for everyone)} to refresh my faded memory. :-) --Jtir 16:16, 5 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Who is asking these questions?[edit]

These questions are being asked by hypothetical people. It might be easier to organize the FAQ by identifying questions from "readers" and "editors".

Readers have asked
Editors have asked

The notability question is being asked by an actual editor -- namely me. --Jtir 16:23, 5 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]