Telling right from leftIs there an index for solutions to American Mathematical Monthly problems?What are some correct results discovered with incorrect (or no) proofs?How To Present Mathematics To Non-Mathematicians?What is the shortest Ph.D. thesis?New arXiv procedures?Why don't more mathematicians improve Wikipedia articles?What are some deep theorems, and why are they considered deep?Does anyone know what is the right reference for the following simple lemma from harmonic analysis?Analogues of P vs. NP in the history of mathematicsHow did the refereeing system of Gösta Mittag-Leffler's Acta Mathematica function from 1882 to (about) 1918?
Telling right from left
Is there an index for solutions to American Mathematical Monthly problems?What are some correct results discovered with incorrect (or no) proofs?How To Present Mathematics To Non-Mathematicians?What is the shortest Ph.D. thesis?New arXiv procedures?Why don't more mathematicians improve Wikipedia articles?What are some deep theorems, and why are they considered deep?Does anyone know what is the right reference for the following simple lemma from harmonic analysis?Analogues of P vs. NP in the history of mathematicsHow did the refereeing system of Gösta Mittag-Leffler's Acta Mathematica function from 1882 to (about) 1918?
$begingroup$
I know a lot of people, some of them mathematicians, who have trouble telling right from left. This can lead to problems when you are composing functions, for example.
When did this seemingly innocuous confusion lead to wrong results being published? Here is an example from arithmetic geometry.
ho.history-overview big-list
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I know a lot of people, some of them mathematicians, who have trouble telling right from left. This can lead to problems when you are composing functions, for example.
When did this seemingly innocuous confusion lead to wrong results being published? Here is an example from arithmetic geometry.
ho.history-overview big-list
$endgroup$
1
$begingroup$
This makes me wonder more generally about when conflicting conventions have lead to incorrect results.
$endgroup$
– Wojowu
May 14 at 7:56
$begingroup$
it's a constant issue in group theory, how to evaluate compositions, from left or from right...
$endgroup$
– Dima Pasechnik
May 14 at 9:35
2
$begingroup$
Per @Wojowu's musing: signs! See, for example, Lawson - A note on sign conventions in homological algebra. (At least, that's the advertised title on Lawson's web page; the title on the linked page better describes the experience of those who have to deal with this sort of thing.)
$endgroup$
– LSpice
May 14 at 11:16
$begingroup$
actually, if we are talking about conventions, here is one amusing article about Hamiltonian vector fields: symplecticfieldtheorist.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/…
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 12:57
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I know a lot of people, some of them mathematicians, who have trouble telling right from left. This can lead to problems when you are composing functions, for example.
When did this seemingly innocuous confusion lead to wrong results being published? Here is an example from arithmetic geometry.
ho.history-overview big-list
$endgroup$
I know a lot of people, some of them mathematicians, who have trouble telling right from left. This can lead to problems when you are composing functions, for example.
When did this seemingly innocuous confusion lead to wrong results being published? Here is an example from arithmetic geometry.
ho.history-overview big-list
ho.history-overview big-list
asked May 14 at 7:33
community wiki
schematic_boi
1
$begingroup$
This makes me wonder more generally about when conflicting conventions have lead to incorrect results.
$endgroup$
– Wojowu
May 14 at 7:56
$begingroup$
it's a constant issue in group theory, how to evaluate compositions, from left or from right...
$endgroup$
– Dima Pasechnik
May 14 at 9:35
2
$begingroup$
Per @Wojowu's musing: signs! See, for example, Lawson - A note on sign conventions in homological algebra. (At least, that's the advertised title on Lawson's web page; the title on the linked page better describes the experience of those who have to deal with this sort of thing.)
$endgroup$
– LSpice
May 14 at 11:16
$begingroup$
actually, if we are talking about conventions, here is one amusing article about Hamiltonian vector fields: symplecticfieldtheorist.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/…
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 12:57
add a comment |
1
$begingroup$
This makes me wonder more generally about when conflicting conventions have lead to incorrect results.
$endgroup$
– Wojowu
May 14 at 7:56
$begingroup$
it's a constant issue in group theory, how to evaluate compositions, from left or from right...
$endgroup$
– Dima Pasechnik
May 14 at 9:35
2
$begingroup$
Per @Wojowu's musing: signs! See, for example, Lawson - A note on sign conventions in homological algebra. (At least, that's the advertised title on Lawson's web page; the title on the linked page better describes the experience of those who have to deal with this sort of thing.)
$endgroup$
– LSpice
May 14 at 11:16
$begingroup$
actually, if we are talking about conventions, here is one amusing article about Hamiltonian vector fields: symplecticfieldtheorist.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/…
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 12:57
1
1
$begingroup$
This makes me wonder more generally about when conflicting conventions have lead to incorrect results.
$endgroup$
– Wojowu
May 14 at 7:56
$begingroup$
This makes me wonder more generally about when conflicting conventions have lead to incorrect results.
$endgroup$
– Wojowu
May 14 at 7:56
$begingroup$
it's a constant issue in group theory, how to evaluate compositions, from left or from right...
$endgroup$
– Dima Pasechnik
May 14 at 9:35
$begingroup$
it's a constant issue in group theory, how to evaluate compositions, from left or from right...
$endgroup$
– Dima Pasechnik
May 14 at 9:35
2
2
$begingroup$
Per @Wojowu's musing: signs! See, for example, Lawson - A note on sign conventions in homological algebra. (At least, that's the advertised title on Lawson's web page; the title on the linked page better describes the experience of those who have to deal with this sort of thing.)
$endgroup$
– LSpice
May 14 at 11:16
$begingroup$
Per @Wojowu's musing: signs! See, for example, Lawson - A note on sign conventions in homological algebra. (At least, that's the advertised title on Lawson's web page; the title on the linked page better describes the experience of those who have to deal with this sort of thing.)
$endgroup$
– LSpice
May 14 at 11:16
$begingroup$
actually, if we are talking about conventions, here is one amusing article about Hamiltonian vector fields: symplecticfieldtheorist.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/…
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 12:57
$begingroup$
actually, if we are talking about conventions, here is one amusing article about Hamiltonian vector fields: symplecticfieldtheorist.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/…
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 12:57
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
I don’t know about wrong results, but compare Godement’s Algèbre (1966, and still 1980):
on dit que l’ensemble $xmathrm H$ est une classe à droite modulo $mathrm H$
(translation: “we say that the set $x mathrmH$ is a right class modulo $mathrmH$”)
with everyone else, e.g. his associate Bourbaki (1970):
les ensembles $xmathrm H$, qu'on appelle classes à gauche suivant $,mathrm H$ (ou modulo $,mathrm H$)
(translation: “the sets $x mathrmH$, which are called left classes following $mathrmH$ (or modulo $mathrmH$)”)
$endgroup$
7
$begingroup$
maybe you should include a translation (as a sidenote, it kind of annoys me when people use French excerpts in articles written in English expecting everyone to understand). My French tells me "droite" is "left" and "gauche" is "right" (or I am making the exact mistake we are talking about?).
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 8:51
7
$begingroup$
but then the answer is not fully self-contained, it requires you to visit another website to comprehend it.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 9:00
9
$begingroup$
In English, "adroit" is skilful, adept, and "gauche" is unsophisticated and clumsy, so you can kind of guess which is which :-)
$endgroup$
– J.J. Green
May 14 at 9:10
3
$begingroup$
@schematic_boi Um, sorry to point it out, but you have just demonstrated one example of how mix-ups happen. Yes, droit also means a right (in law), so there are hints.
$endgroup$
– GregT
May 14 at 10:45
11
$begingroup$
@GregT ah OK. I am not even a native speaker of the English language, so I guess it is OK for me not to know what droit means. My belief is that while the person giving an MO answer is not obliged to provide a translation, it kind of makes sense for them to do that, because it is easy for them, and how many other people will not understand what is written there and will have to use Google Translate? Probably more than one.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 10:53
|
show 4 more comments
Your Answer
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1 Answer
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oldest
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$begingroup$
I don’t know about wrong results, but compare Godement’s Algèbre (1966, and still 1980):
on dit que l’ensemble $xmathrm H$ est une classe à droite modulo $mathrm H$
(translation: “we say that the set $x mathrmH$ is a right class modulo $mathrmH$”)
with everyone else, e.g. his associate Bourbaki (1970):
les ensembles $xmathrm H$, qu'on appelle classes à gauche suivant $,mathrm H$ (ou modulo $,mathrm H$)
(translation: “the sets $x mathrmH$, which are called left classes following $mathrmH$ (or modulo $mathrmH$)”)
$endgroup$
7
$begingroup$
maybe you should include a translation (as a sidenote, it kind of annoys me when people use French excerpts in articles written in English expecting everyone to understand). My French tells me "droite" is "left" and "gauche" is "right" (or I am making the exact mistake we are talking about?).
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 8:51
7
$begingroup$
but then the answer is not fully self-contained, it requires you to visit another website to comprehend it.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 9:00
9
$begingroup$
In English, "adroit" is skilful, adept, and "gauche" is unsophisticated and clumsy, so you can kind of guess which is which :-)
$endgroup$
– J.J. Green
May 14 at 9:10
3
$begingroup$
@schematic_boi Um, sorry to point it out, but you have just demonstrated one example of how mix-ups happen. Yes, droit also means a right (in law), so there are hints.
$endgroup$
– GregT
May 14 at 10:45
11
$begingroup$
@GregT ah OK. I am not even a native speaker of the English language, so I guess it is OK for me not to know what droit means. My belief is that while the person giving an MO answer is not obliged to provide a translation, it kind of makes sense for them to do that, because it is easy for them, and how many other people will not understand what is written there and will have to use Google Translate? Probably more than one.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 10:53
|
show 4 more comments
$begingroup$
I don’t know about wrong results, but compare Godement’s Algèbre (1966, and still 1980):
on dit que l’ensemble $xmathrm H$ est une classe à droite modulo $mathrm H$
(translation: “we say that the set $x mathrmH$ is a right class modulo $mathrmH$”)
with everyone else, e.g. his associate Bourbaki (1970):
les ensembles $xmathrm H$, qu'on appelle classes à gauche suivant $,mathrm H$ (ou modulo $,mathrm H$)
(translation: “the sets $x mathrmH$, which are called left classes following $mathrmH$ (or modulo $mathrmH$)”)
$endgroup$
7
$begingroup$
maybe you should include a translation (as a sidenote, it kind of annoys me when people use French excerpts in articles written in English expecting everyone to understand). My French tells me "droite" is "left" and "gauche" is "right" (or I am making the exact mistake we are talking about?).
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 8:51
7
$begingroup$
but then the answer is not fully self-contained, it requires you to visit another website to comprehend it.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 9:00
9
$begingroup$
In English, "adroit" is skilful, adept, and "gauche" is unsophisticated and clumsy, so you can kind of guess which is which :-)
$endgroup$
– J.J. Green
May 14 at 9:10
3
$begingroup$
@schematic_boi Um, sorry to point it out, but you have just demonstrated one example of how mix-ups happen. Yes, droit also means a right (in law), so there are hints.
$endgroup$
– GregT
May 14 at 10:45
11
$begingroup$
@GregT ah OK. I am not even a native speaker of the English language, so I guess it is OK for me not to know what droit means. My belief is that while the person giving an MO answer is not obliged to provide a translation, it kind of makes sense for them to do that, because it is easy for them, and how many other people will not understand what is written there and will have to use Google Translate? Probably more than one.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 10:53
|
show 4 more comments
$begingroup$
I don’t know about wrong results, but compare Godement’s Algèbre (1966, and still 1980):
on dit que l’ensemble $xmathrm H$ est une classe à droite modulo $mathrm H$
(translation: “we say that the set $x mathrmH$ is a right class modulo $mathrmH$”)
with everyone else, e.g. his associate Bourbaki (1970):
les ensembles $xmathrm H$, qu'on appelle classes à gauche suivant $,mathrm H$ (ou modulo $,mathrm H$)
(translation: “the sets $x mathrmH$, which are called left classes following $mathrmH$ (or modulo $mathrmH$)”)
$endgroup$
I don’t know about wrong results, but compare Godement’s Algèbre (1966, and still 1980):
on dit que l’ensemble $xmathrm H$ est une classe à droite modulo $mathrm H$
(translation: “we say that the set $x mathrmH$ is a right class modulo $mathrmH$”)
with everyone else, e.g. his associate Bourbaki (1970):
les ensembles $xmathrm H$, qu'on appelle classes à gauche suivant $,mathrm H$ (ou modulo $,mathrm H$)
(translation: “the sets $x mathrmH$, which are called left classes following $mathrmH$ (or modulo $mathrmH$)”)
edited May 14 at 14:19
community wiki
3 revs, 2 users 60%
Francois Ziegler
7
$begingroup$
maybe you should include a translation (as a sidenote, it kind of annoys me when people use French excerpts in articles written in English expecting everyone to understand). My French tells me "droite" is "left" and "gauche" is "right" (or I am making the exact mistake we are talking about?).
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 8:51
7
$begingroup$
but then the answer is not fully self-contained, it requires you to visit another website to comprehend it.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 9:00
9
$begingroup$
In English, "adroit" is skilful, adept, and "gauche" is unsophisticated and clumsy, so you can kind of guess which is which :-)
$endgroup$
– J.J. Green
May 14 at 9:10
3
$begingroup$
@schematic_boi Um, sorry to point it out, but you have just demonstrated one example of how mix-ups happen. Yes, droit also means a right (in law), so there are hints.
$endgroup$
– GregT
May 14 at 10:45
11
$begingroup$
@GregT ah OK. I am not even a native speaker of the English language, so I guess it is OK for me not to know what droit means. My belief is that while the person giving an MO answer is not obliged to provide a translation, it kind of makes sense for them to do that, because it is easy for them, and how many other people will not understand what is written there and will have to use Google Translate? Probably more than one.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 10:53
|
show 4 more comments
7
$begingroup$
maybe you should include a translation (as a sidenote, it kind of annoys me when people use French excerpts in articles written in English expecting everyone to understand). My French tells me "droite" is "left" and "gauche" is "right" (or I am making the exact mistake we are talking about?).
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 8:51
7
$begingroup$
but then the answer is not fully self-contained, it requires you to visit another website to comprehend it.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 9:00
9
$begingroup$
In English, "adroit" is skilful, adept, and "gauche" is unsophisticated and clumsy, so you can kind of guess which is which :-)
$endgroup$
– J.J. Green
May 14 at 9:10
3
$begingroup$
@schematic_boi Um, sorry to point it out, but you have just demonstrated one example of how mix-ups happen. Yes, droit also means a right (in law), so there are hints.
$endgroup$
– GregT
May 14 at 10:45
11
$begingroup$
@GregT ah OK. I am not even a native speaker of the English language, so I guess it is OK for me not to know what droit means. My belief is that while the person giving an MO answer is not obliged to provide a translation, it kind of makes sense for them to do that, because it is easy for them, and how many other people will not understand what is written there and will have to use Google Translate? Probably more than one.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 10:53
7
7
$begingroup$
maybe you should include a translation (as a sidenote, it kind of annoys me when people use French excerpts in articles written in English expecting everyone to understand). My French tells me "droite" is "left" and "gauche" is "right" (or I am making the exact mistake we are talking about?).
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 8:51
$begingroup$
maybe you should include a translation (as a sidenote, it kind of annoys me when people use French excerpts in articles written in English expecting everyone to understand). My French tells me "droite" is "left" and "gauche" is "right" (or I am making the exact mistake we are talking about?).
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 8:51
7
7
$begingroup$
but then the answer is not fully self-contained, it requires you to visit another website to comprehend it.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 9:00
$begingroup$
but then the answer is not fully self-contained, it requires you to visit another website to comprehend it.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 9:00
9
9
$begingroup$
In English, "adroit" is skilful, adept, and "gauche" is unsophisticated and clumsy, so you can kind of guess which is which :-)
$endgroup$
– J.J. Green
May 14 at 9:10
$begingroup$
In English, "adroit" is skilful, adept, and "gauche" is unsophisticated and clumsy, so you can kind of guess which is which :-)
$endgroup$
– J.J. Green
May 14 at 9:10
3
3
$begingroup$
@schematic_boi Um, sorry to point it out, but you have just demonstrated one example of how mix-ups happen. Yes, droit also means a right (in law), so there are hints.
$endgroup$
– GregT
May 14 at 10:45
$begingroup$
@schematic_boi Um, sorry to point it out, but you have just demonstrated one example of how mix-ups happen. Yes, droit also means a right (in law), so there are hints.
$endgroup$
– GregT
May 14 at 10:45
11
11
$begingroup$
@GregT ah OK. I am not even a native speaker of the English language, so I guess it is OK for me not to know what droit means. My belief is that while the person giving an MO answer is not obliged to provide a translation, it kind of makes sense for them to do that, because it is easy for them, and how many other people will not understand what is written there and will have to use Google Translate? Probably more than one.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 10:53
$begingroup$
@GregT ah OK. I am not even a native speaker of the English language, so I guess it is OK for me not to know what droit means. My belief is that while the person giving an MO answer is not obliged to provide a translation, it kind of makes sense for them to do that, because it is easy for them, and how many other people will not understand what is written there and will have to use Google Translate? Probably more than one.
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 10:53
|
show 4 more comments
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1
$begingroup$
This makes me wonder more generally about when conflicting conventions have lead to incorrect results.
$endgroup$
– Wojowu
May 14 at 7:56
$begingroup$
it's a constant issue in group theory, how to evaluate compositions, from left or from right...
$endgroup$
– Dima Pasechnik
May 14 at 9:35
2
$begingroup$
Per @Wojowu's musing: signs! See, for example, Lawson - A note on sign conventions in homological algebra. (At least, that's the advertised title on Lawson's web page; the title on the linked page better describes the experience of those who have to deal with this sort of thing.)
$endgroup$
– LSpice
May 14 at 11:16
$begingroup$
actually, if we are talking about conventions, here is one amusing article about Hamiltonian vector fields: symplecticfieldtheorist.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/…
$endgroup$
– schematic_boi
May 14 at 12:57