What to ask here
Mathematics Stack Exchange is for people studying mathematics at any level and professionals in related fields. We welcome questions about:
- Understanding mathematical concepts and theorems.
- Mathematical problems such as one might come across in a course or textbook. (First read our how to ask a good question page.)
- Solving mathematical puzzles.
- Software that mathematicians use (except Mathematica, which has its own Stack Exchange site).
What might be better asked elsewhere
There are certain subjects that, while still on-topic here, might be better addressed by one of our sister sites:
- Research-level mathematics: MathOverflow
- Statistical analysis: Cross Validated
- Research level algorithm design, complexity theory, etc.: Theoretical Computer Science
- Numerical analysis and scientific computing: Computational Science
- Algorithm implementation/design, computer simulation and modelling, etc.: Stack Overflow
- Other computer science topics: Computer Science
- Signal processing: Signal Processing
- Mathematical education, especially about teaching and pedagogy: Mathematics Educators
- History and development of mathematics: History of Science and Mathematics
What not to ask here
And some questions are considered off-topic:
- Physics, engineering and financial questions. It is fine to ask about the mathematical models and techniques, but concepts of the field would be off-topic. You should instead ask those questions at other Stack Exchange sites such as:
- Typesetting equations — you can read our guideline for writing equations on this site, or visit the TeX - LaTeX Stack Exchange for questions about TeX and friends
- Numerology
- Questions seeking personal advice for choosing a course, academic program, career path, etc. Such questions should be directed to those employed by the institution in question, or other qualified individuals who know your specific circumstances.
- Questions about the site itself should be asked on Mathematics Meta instead.
For more help, see "What types of questions should I avoid asking?"
If you want to get more information about the site, you can browse our detailed list of FAQs on meta.
Please look around to see if your question has been asked before. It’s also OK to ask and answer your own question.
If your question is not specifically on-topic for Mathematics Stack Exchange, it may be on topic for another Stack Exchange site. If no site currently exists that will accept your question, you may commit to or propose a new site at Area 51, the place where new Stack Exchange communities are democratically created.