无忧视频

Alumnus Spoofs Math Journal With Computer-Generated Paper

A computer program developed by a 无忧视频 alumnus created online buzz recently when one of its algorithmically generated math papers was accepted for publication.

The program, Mathgen, randomly generates professional-looking mathematics papers complete with theorems, proofs, equations, discussion and references. Developed by Nate Eldredge 鈥�03, it is modeled after SCIgen, a program that generates random computer science papers.

鈥淟ike most mathematicians, I get a lot of spam from questionable journals soliciting papers. When I got Mathgen working, I thought it would be interesting to test them,鈥� said Eldredge, currently a postdoctoral associate at Cornell University. 鈥淚 went through my spam folder looking for the most impressive-sounding journal title and settled on Advances in Pure Mathematics.鈥�

He submitted the Mathgen-produced paper, 鈥淚ndependent, Negative, Canonically Turing Arrows of Equations and Problems in Applied Formal PDE,鈥� which was provisionally accepted by the APM journal. The journal鈥檚 editor even included a list of suggestions for revision for the fictitious author, Marcie Rathke.

Dr. Rathke will remain unpublished, however, partly because of the journal鈥檚 requested $500 publication fee but mostly for the sake of academic integrity.

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