Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Euclidean algorithm/archive1: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:04, 14 May 2009

Revision as of 16:26, 14 May 2009

Line 227:

**:::Ah. This distinction is clearer now. --'''[[User:Cryptic C62|Cryptic C62]] · [[User talk: Cryptic C62|Talk]]''' 23:06, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

**"In 1829, Sturm showed that the algorithm provided an efficient method for counting the number of real roots of polynomials in any given interval." Again, be sure to include given names when introducing people. Also, "efficient method" is currently linked to [[Sturm chain]]. [[WP:MOSLINK]] advises that the article being linked to should be made clear by the words being linked. In this case, I fully expected the phrase to link to an article about the efficiency of algorithms. I suggest rewording the sentence to include "Sturm chain" and then linking that directly.

**:Both good calls. I added "Charles" to Sturm, and I re-arranged the sentence to clarify the Sturm-chain method. I also removed a double link within the paragraph. [[User:Proteins|Proteins]] ([[User talk:Proteins|talk]]) 16:26, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

**"A generalization of this result is known as [[Sturm's theorem]]." The use of the indefinite article "a" implies that there are multiple generalizations of the result, in which case I would recommend swapping out "a" with "one" or explaining the other generalizations. Or both. If this is the only significant generalization, I recommend swapping out "a" for "the". I wouldn't worry about it too much though; if the number of pertinent generalizations was not made clear in your research, "a" will do just fine.

**:Since it wasn't really germane to the EA itself, I dropped the "generalization" sentence. I might add another EA application later, though, to flesh out that paragraph somewhat. [[User:Proteins|Proteins]] ([[User talk:Proteins|talk]]) 16:26, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

**"No new general algorithms were developed until 1979" Erm, I seriously doubt this. I think you may need something more specific than "general algorithms".

**:Reworded to be briefer and to keep within the bounds of the references. [[User:Proteins|Proteins]] ([[User talk:Proteins|talk]]) 16:26, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

**"The PSLQ algorithm, a "jazzed up" version of Euclid's algorithm, has been recognized as one of the top ten algorithms of the 20th century." This is totally irrelevant trivia and really doesn't fit in with the section.

**:Yes, I should've listened to my conscience on this one. Gone. [[User:Proteins|Proteins]] ([[User talk:Proteins|talk]]) 16:26, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

**I'm not sure that the Game of Euclid section belongs in the ''Historical development'' section. It does seem to be worth mentioning in the article, but it really doesn't fit in with the content introduced here. It might be better off being listed in the See Also section.

**:Another difficult call. I sympathize with the critique, but I'm not sure where else to put the discussion. Hitherto I've included the discussion and early in the article, because it's mentioned prominently in some textbooks, it's been the subject of a few research papers, and because I suspect that it might help make some readers more comfortable with the topic, less daunted by the otherwise unbroken wall of math and more likely to push on. [[User:Proteins|Proteins]] ([[User talk:Proteins|talk]]) 16:26, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

--'''[[User:Cryptic C62|Cryptic C62]] · [[User talk: Cryptic C62|Talk]]''' 19:59, 3 May 2009 (UTC)

:::Thank you very much for your careful reviewing! The article is definitely improving. [[User:Proteins|Proteins]] ([[User talk:Proteins|talk]]) 10:32, 4 May 2009 (UTC)