Westfield State College Writer's Guide
Writing in Mathematics: Editorial
Notations
Editorial notation allows a reviewer of your
writing to effectively communicate constructive criticism of structural and technical
aspects of your work. The abbreviated format of these notations allows the reviewer to
spend more time considering and commenting on your work's content and theme.
Below is
a list of editorial notations for common difficulties that appear in writing in
mathematics.
- Spec <== Gen You have concluded from a few specific examples
that a general result is always valid. This is a weak, and totally inappropriate, form of
inductive reasoning.
EXAMPLE: Observation: 3, 5, 7 are odd and they are prime.
Conclusion: All odd numbers are prime. Certainly this conclusion is invalid,
9=3X3 is odd but not prime. Such conclusions will incur the notation Spec <== Gen.
- Proof? You must either provide a deductive proof of this statement or result of
you must cite a reference that readily enables you to deductively establish the validity
of this statement or result. (This is a stronger, deductive form of Just? below.)
- Just? You have not given sufficient justification. Your statement or result
must be supported by a more definitve justification, a proof, or a citation to a reference
that provides justification. (This is a weaker form of Proof? above.)
- So? What
is your conclusion?
- Relevance? Why have you done this? What is the relevance
of this computation, statement or example to your larger discussion or thesis?
- Ex? An example here would be extremely enlightening for the reader. It would
clarify the discussion and provide the reader with something concrete to hold on to.
- Concl Agr The conclusion you have reached is not the same as the one that you
have set out to reach or what you were asked to support.
- ? Utterly confusing.
Not clear what you are doing; what you've done; how you have done it.
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