Re: Math world breaks own rules, questions
- From: josephus <dogbird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 03:13:39 GMT
jstevh@xxxxxxx wrote:
Supposedly publication in a peer reviewed mathematical journal is the
standard that separates the legitimate researchers from the "crackpots"
who make all kinds of outlandish claims, which reasonable adults can
assume are false when the experts don't back them up.
But I had a paper published in a peer reviewed mathematical journal.
When someone posted that information on the newsgroup sci.math, there
was an instant furor on the newsgroup.
Some of the posters went from maligning me and the journal--castigating
the editors--to planning an assault on my paper with emails claiming it
false.
The next day I got an email from the chief editor claiming publication
had been a mistake.
So what can you do with a society that does not follow even its own
rules?
You may wonder what details are there to this story I'm not telling
that show that the withdrawal was correct.
More facts though, the journal had my paper for over nine months. I
informed them early on that I was an amateur mathematician. They never
sent me notice of any errors that they'd found. I've never had anyone
find anything other than minor errors in the paper--to this day.
The chief editor yanked my paper overnight--clearly not enough time for
a thorough check of all the facts, indicating he went with emotion.
Here's a link to a mirror site for the journal as after that debacle
they managed one more edition before quietly shutting down:
http://www.emis.de/journals/SWJPAM/vol2-03.html
There it says "Withdrawn" about my paper, but I didn't withdraw it, the
editors did.
There were about 10 mirror sites for the journal originally, but all
others went away, and the original journal link at its home university
no longer works.
I received an email from Mathematical Reviews (Never heard ot them?
Google it.) a bit after the mess, as they were seeking author
information to list me as a published author of a math paper, and I had
to explain this situation and called them up, and talked to someone who
had never heard of anything like it.
I did argue a lot of the ideas out on Usenet before writing a paper, as
I naively used to think that talking out ideas was a good way to clear
out crappy ones with the possibility that you could get pick up from
experts who might help you write a paper, and afterwards I've found
myself talking out ideas because it works for me in figuring them out.
The problem though with Usenet is that people can track you off Usenet,
and come after you in other areas, like with what happened with my
paper, and at this point, I don't see a solution.
It has been years since my paper was yanked.
So then, what do you do with a society that does not follow its own
rules?
How can any of you truly know that I'm wrong in this situation and the
math people--people not following their own rules--are right?
Yes, they call me names, like "crackpot", "crank", and "loon" among
others.
And here I am on Usenet still, where I fear few will believe me, and
even fewer will care.
But how do you know these people are telling you the truth about
anything mathematical when they so casually break their own rules?
In retaliating against me and my paper, the sci.math newsgroup showed a
weakness within the journal process and how EASILY a mob can take
control over that process, and censor a paper.
That should have been news, but it wasn't, which is another troubling
aspect of this story.
If I could get enough attention to the details of the paper, then
people might see that it is correct, and should have been published,
but math society has so much domination in this area that it simply can
ignore competing views, and people like me are totally sidelined with
little to do but grouse in what public spaces they can.
And math people stalk me in these spaces trying to intimidate me into
silence, even telling me to stop posting--ever with the words "crank"
or "crackpot" tossed about, or claims that I am mentally ill.
If you believe math people, posting when other people tell you to stop,
is proof of mental illness. If you believe math people, daring to come
up with your own mathematical ideas and hoping against hope that they
are correct is a sign of mental illness.
And God help you if you admit failing repeatedly in your attempts to
find a valid idea, as they'll attack you for that as well.
The only thing that would make these people happy is my total and
complete silence.
James Harris
There is a more pernicious reason for rejection and ejection from a juried journal. It might be because there are competent mathematicians that will verify your method. and if they universally define you as a kook you will be "withdrawn". This duplication of methods is standard procedure. Any function will be tested and verified. Mathematics is no different than any other juried journal. They farm out the problems to experts and rely on the experts. You must have extraordinary evidence to support your extraordinary cclaims. And they will verify it. ABSOLUTELY. That is why you post your whines here and do not publish in a journal.
josephus
.
- References:
- Math world breaks own rules, questions
- From: jstevh
- Math world breaks own rules, questions
- Prev by Date: Theory of Aging and Longevity
- Next by Date: Socionics - Load of crap
- Previous by thread: Math world breaks own rules, questions
- Next by thread: Re: Star Gate 1
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
