The scope tag has no wiki summary.
0
votes
1answer
56 views
Is it legal to post links to publications found on google scholar?
I have just started my Ms.c, and I'm now really starting to read publications, and I think that many times the link to a paper could make it easier to formulate and scope a question.
I guess that ...
32
votes
8answers
750 views
On modifying our scope: A proposal
There's been a lot of chatter of late about our scope, the declining number of questions being asked per day, and whether we're being excessively strict about question scope.
This question is ...
2
votes
0answers
52 views
Is a question about network analysis via mean-field theory type approaches on topic?
TCS seems to study networks, but I seldom see mean-field theory approaches (which come from statistical-mechanics) used by computer scientists. Hence, I am unsure if the following question from the ...
4
votes
2answers
130 views
Request For Comment: the scope of Computational Sciences proposal
While checking computational science meta today, I noticed that my perception about the proposal/site might not be true. mbq, the original person behind the proposal is not that much involved anymore ...
1
vote
0answers
82 views
Referring questions to crypto.SE
Consider the following two questions:
Information leaking of simulation based security
Why SHA-224 and SHA-256 use different initial values?
There's already a scope clash between crypto.SE and us, ...
3
votes
2answers
125 views
How to deal with “How to do X?” questions where X is a very high-level (software engineering) task
From time to time we get questions that are of the form:
How can I do X?
or
Is X studied?
(often by a user not familiar with TCS) where X is a very high-level real-world task, so it is ...
5
votes
3answers
97 views
Is a question about decoherence in quantum walks on the line in scope?
I started typing up a question on transitioning from quantum to classical random walks on the line, with the punchline being along the lines of:
Are there models of decoherence for the quantum ...
5
votes
0answers
103 views
“Theoretical computer science” or “theoretical *in* computer science”
Sometimes we get questions which are "theoretical questions in computer science", but are not "theoretical computer science" questions. Other areas in computer science (e.g. computer networks, ...) ...
1
vote
4answers
129 views
Where is the best place to start a discussion on the right axioms for computation?
In Scott Aaronson's answer to my question about the Extended Church-Turing Thesis, he says
I don't see how talking about "proofs" of the CT or ECT adds much light to this discussion. Such "proofs" ...
5
votes
1answer
115 views
Out of scope question with ongoing discussion
This pertains to: How do I store data with a query that's approximated ?
I felt that the question as stated was too localized, and invited the OP to generalize because I thought there was a valid ...
6
votes
1answer
152 views
Questions about finding code for algorithms
This is a question about "Program for computing tree decomposition of a graph".
Should we admit questions that are
looking for code for certain
algorithms ?
On the YES side, there was a ...
6
votes
4answers
659 views
We should stop claiming that this website is “research-level”
Question: Algorithm to sort pairs of numbers.
I believe that this question is at the level of midterm/final exams in an algorithm course and not at the level of research. Given the positive comment ...
6
votes
0answers
174 views
Ph.D Schools “focusing” on theory
There's a rollback extravaganza happening on this question. There are a number of problems in the question, and foolishly I contributed to this by even answering.
There are multiple questions ...
7
votes
2answers
193 views
Finding negation of regular expression: too basic ?
The question Regular expressions: Finding “negation” of regular expression? seems awfully basic to me. I didn't want to close since my fellow moderator Dave Clarke answered it, which clearly indicates ...
10
votes
3answers
180 views
Multiple Research Forums (like this One) Linked Together — a Proposal
In our discussion of whether the Theoretical Computer Science is too narrow for this site, I suggested a compromise idea that would have different forums like this site, all linked together more so ...
60
votes
19answers
2k views
Is “theoretical” computer science too narrow?
The CS Theory Stack Exchange is humming along nicely. It's a terrific, robust, and growing community that is clearly making an increasing contribution to the state of CS Theory research.
Something we ...
12
votes
3answers
579 views
A cstheory website for beginners
It seems that overzealous folks at Area 51 closed the proposal without giving it a fair chance. (Dave Clarke)
--
mathoverflow.net is for mathematicians.
...
17
votes
4answers
502 views
The modifiable part of our general FAQ
Should we put the phrase "research level" in our general FAQ?
While in our official FAQ there is a statement about the scope of our site, that is,
Ask and answer research-level questions in ...
-6
votes
1answer
259 views
A policy proposal against questions asking for a correctness check [closed]
Update: I withdrew this policy proposal. It received 5 downvotes and no upvotes.
This is a policy proposal. The proposed policy in the question or its answers will be adopted in the case that ...
7
votes
1answer
154 views
Better description of the scope than “research-level questions in theoretical computer science”
I have seen (and I have also used myself) the phrase “research-level questions in theoretical computer science” to describe the scope of cstheory.stackexchange.com.
However, thinking about it, I ...
-4
votes
3answers
301 views
On the Feasibility of Homework Questions
Current policy is to close all questions that "feel like homework" to at least five (high-reputated) people. Those more militant even downvote answers given by others even if those were hints rather ...
7
votes
1answer
146 views
Alternative websites for off-topic or non-research-level questions
While our aim is to ask and answer research-level questions in theoretical computer science, we would like to be helpful to those who do not know where to ask other questions. One way is probably to ...
2
votes
1answer
160 views
What should we write when closing a question for being too elementary/homework?
The comments and links to used when closing an elementary/homework question. I am making it CW, feel free to edit and/or add links to related discussions.
Related discussions:
The reason to close ...
7
votes
2answers
246 views
Defining the Scope of This Site (or Theory Cafe?)
This question seems to have generated quite a debate in the comments about whether it's appropriate, enough of one that it seems worth discussing in meta.
There are lots of questions (asking things ...
1
vote
3answers
130 views
Another go at scope of desirable questions
There are active discussions around both meta and several TCS questions about what questions should be rejected. The two reasons most often stated are (afaik)
too basic (aka too localized, whatever ...
2
votes
1answer
138 views
Migrate to Meta or not: When should you say what you know?
I am surprised to see that at least two people commented that the question “When should you say what you know?” by asterix is on-topic, because it looked clear to me that it should be migrated to ...
9
votes
5answers
547 views
How-to-model-this questions
There are several questions asking for a good way to model something. Are they in scope, or should they be closed?
Because a recent example is “Semantic distance between excerpts of text.” by John ...
4
votes
4answers
194 views
Questions about compilation errors in Coq
I would have voted to close the following question as out of scope if it didn't have 3 votes already.
...
1
vote
2answers
383 views
Is asking for a cooking recipe “a question about algorithms”?
This question is partly for fun, but partly serious.
As a fictional example, suppose that someone asks a question like the following (the motivation part omitted for simplicity):
I would like to ...
7
votes
4answers
178 views
Reference requests and the like
Someone recently asked a question about references for work in pattern recognition with fuzzy logic. Leaving aside the issue of topical scope, here's the (harsh) comment I wrote:
I apologize if ...
3
votes
5answers
219 views
Scope: Can questions be too physical for us?
Lance Fortnow asked a question, What is the Volume of Information?, which Ross Snider criticised on two grounds:
Off topic: I downvoted because I don't find this question relevant to the site ...
2
votes
3answers
299 views
On topic or off topic: Do you use any article organizers?
Currently the question “Do you use any article organizers?” has three votes to close as off topic. However, in my opinion, this question can be interesting to people working on theoretical computer ...
12
votes
7answers
2k views
Is it ok to ask about the correctness of preprints on crank-friendly topics?
See this question in which someone asked for an update on the status of an arxiv preprint on graph isomorphism. It was downvoted, with a comment "Are this kind of discussions on-topic here? I think ...
2
votes
2answers
106 views
Is my StackOverflow question a better match here than there? “Formally constructing control flow graph”
Given the PL Theory parts of my question (but seeing it also being part of practical compiler design) Im thinking it might be a better match here than there?
...
7
votes
8answers
754 views
Homework, or things that look like homework.
c.f this question on O() notation.
Stackoverflow actually has the 'homework' tag, and is willing to entertain questions of that kind. MO has strong prohibitions in place against it. The first ...
5
votes
3answers
350 views
Are brain teasers and CS puzzles valid questions? What if they involve advanced techniques?
Over at MathOverflow the community accepts math puzzles, and in fact even has a couple tags devoted to them. Of course, puzzles can be illuminating when they require that one makes some creative ...
10
votes
1answer
179 views
When are areas of pure math that are used in CS considered on-topic?
My motivation for this question is the response to my question here, which garnered a vote to close for being too mathy. Supportive comments and upvoting seemed to have saved that particular question ...
4
votes
1answer
154 views
Are discussions about the field of TCS off-topic?
This has been raised several times and we should make a group decision. Raised before:
Developing a CW policy.
Are list questions such as about conferences on-topic?
Places to look for articles and ...
8
votes
2answers
443 views
Are applied questions off-topic?
I wanted to raise this question based on the discussion here. An example would be "What are some real world applications for genetic algorithms?"
The decision here should be added into our FAQ.
1
vote
3answers
298 views
Our domain scope, specifically defined
There have been many independent questions about whether things are on/off-topic, but I think that we should be explicit at this point about our scope. The wikipedia article on TCS could provide a ...
4
votes
3answers
348 views
What level and types of questions are appropriate for Theoretical Computer Science?
As a starting point, I was interested in András Salamon's answer to a question about the need for a TCS Stack Exchange.
Now, as a software engineer, there are a number of topics in theoretical ...
6
votes
3answers
510 views
Compiler Design and PL Theory questions ?
This question on the main site is stated as being well within the realm of programming language theory. However, it has a -2 score and votes to close. Is it within scope, and in general are we to ...
