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Freely Available Web-Based Mathematics Reference?

Posted by Cliff on from the recreating-a-valuable-resource dept.

HomeySmurf asks: "I am wondering if anyone is interested in a free mathematical reference document in hypertext similar to the now unavailable Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics (Slashdot article about its demise here). I know that the body of this work was by Eric Weisstein, but the information itself is fundamentally open, and it is a horrible shame that there is not another similar document project in mathematics. Or at least I haven't been able to find one. Many of the math world submissions and corrections were by various knowledgeable individuals, much like an open source project. I know there is a GPL-like license for documentation, and that it could really come into use here. I would certainly like to be involved in such a project, and there are many different directions this could take." I remember reading about Mathworld when we talked about its demise. It would be interesting to see if a group of people could come up with something similar. Any volunteers?

4 of 8 comments (clear)

  1. Complete and correct? by Stephen · · Score: 2

    Interested in reading it or writing it? Of course, lots of people would be interested in being able to consult it. The problem with trying to write it in a "bazaar" (not bizarre :) way would be to make it authoritative, i.e. have good coverage and be accurate. Even a few errors could seriously undermine the community's confidence in it.

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    11.00100100001111110110101010001000100001011010001 1000010001101001100010011
  2. Interested in working on this by HomeySmurf · · Score: 2

    I'd be interested in working to develop it. I think that it is possible to have a moderation scheme like /. or maybe reader voting like www.kuro5hin.org. There could be a trust metric like that used by advogato or sourceforge as well to allow for evaluation of the evaluators. This would turn it into a peer review type process. If anyone is interested, please email me: HomeySmurf at hotmail dot com.

    --
    "Politics is for the moment, an equation lasts eternity" -A. Einstein
  3. One Math Reference by MrBlic · · Score: 2

    When I was looking for a way to compute algorithms of arbitrary bases... when the scripting language I had only did natural Log... I fonud this: http://forum.swarthmore.edu/dr.math/

    I see the whole web as one big math reference... a search on Google can answer most mathematics questions.

    -Jim

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    Celebrate Excellence!
  4. How to do it... by refactored · · Score: 2
    The biggest hold back has been lack of good MathML like facilities on the web.

    Yes LaTeX2HTML is good. A kludge, but a good kludge none the less. However it remains a kludge.

    So, the prequisite for something like this to gather steam is a MathML browser. Another killer reason to get the Moz Lizard.

    Then there are structuring issues.

    A mad sprawl as generated by a Wiki? Why not, Wiki's tend to self reorganised themselves.

    Or a highly scholarly arrangement of committees and subcommittees etc. etc.

    I think there is room for both...

    Who will host it? Source Forge?

    Please someone, start up the ultimate Free Math Site as a Wiki!