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I asked a question here. https://cstheory.stackexchange.com/questions/20410/idea-for-proving-that-p-neq-np-implies-one-way-functions-exist

I would really like to know the answer to it, but it is on hold. The moderator Kaveh said my question was off-topic. It is clear to me that the question is on topic because it is about computational complexity theory, which is a branch of theoretical computer science.

This is frustrating to me and also puzzling.

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    $\begingroup$ Your reputation precedes you. $\endgroup$
    – Jeffε
    Commented Jan 3, 2014 at 14:13
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    $\begingroup$ What does my reputation have to do with my question? $\endgroup$
    – Craig Feinstein
    Commented Jan 3, 2014 at 15:41
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    $\begingroup$ Read the comments under your pervious questions. This is a Q&A site for professional researchers, it is not a place for cranks to share their ideas. You lack the mathematical maturity to understand what is a valid mathematical argument so the questions are off-topic here. $\endgroup$
    – Kaveh
    Commented Jan 3, 2014 at 16:13
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    $\begingroup$ @Kaveh, this is not the way to win friends and influence people. $\endgroup$
    – Craig Feinstein
    Commented Jan 3, 2014 at 16:48
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    $\begingroup$ Your reputation leaves us little incentive to be patient with you or explain—again—the very basic problems with your long-standing arguments. And we are not here to "win friends and influence people." $\endgroup$
    – Jeffε
    Commented Jan 3, 2014 at 17:03
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    $\begingroup$ @JeffE, since my question was put on hold, I asked my question to an expert through email. He responded, "See a result by Ladner. There is a core, I believe is the name, of the hard problems. That is correct. The trouble as usual is that the core is hard to understand, so the idea does not seem to be very productive." It would have been nice if someone could have answered it on the forum. $\endgroup$
    – Craig Feinstein
    Commented Jan 3, 2014 at 17:33
  • $\begingroup$ CF you apparently have a long cyber rep. suggest setting up a blog with your ideas & also have a profile/about pg so ppl can learn about your credentials/background better. also note that Computer Science Chat is another option/outlet for real Q/A, discussions, etc. sometimes quite lively! a possible bonus depending on your pov, the "pro academics" tend to avoid the chat rooms! :) $\endgroup$
    – vzn
    Commented Jun 9, 2014 at 22:24
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks vzn! I'll check it out. $\endgroup$
    – Craig Feinstein
    Commented Jun 10, 2014 at 20:57

1 Answer 1

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In your previous interactions on cstheory we have seen that you lack the mathematical maturity to understand what is a valid mathematical argument as I have written several times (and that is the main reason that you don't understand the problem with your "arguments" and keep insisting on them and engaging in extended discussions). Therefore your questions are off-topic here because you don't have the minimal understanding of the problem being solved, i.e. understand the answers given to you.

In addition, on cstheory we have an explicit policy against crank-friendly topics. The goal of the policy is to be unwelcoming to cranks on this site. cstheory does not welcome cranks. It is not a personal issue and it doesn't mean anything about interactions we might have outside this site. But on cstheory we will not welcome cranks.
As a non-expert who has been insisting to have proven P is not equal to NP for a considerable time despite the fact that no expert has accepted your claim you are considered a crank.

Also you tend to post question to later post (incorrect) answers ( e.g. 1, 2), that is also unwelcome on cstheory. cstheory should not be used for self-promotion of one's ideas, if the intention is not to genuinely ask a question then the question is "not a real question" and should be closed.

Aside these, questions of the form "I have this idea, what is wrong with it?" can be on-topic stated suitably. However such questions need considerable extra care since they often result in open-ended extended discussions and generally open-ended extended discussions are not suitable for the sites on the Stack Exchange network, these are Q&A sites, not discussion sites. I and other users have expressed the opinion that we need a place for discussions, but cstheory as a Q&A site is not that place. In fact the software for these sites is intentionally designed to make extended discussions difficult.

These are the reasons your question was closed. Whether some respected expert on the topic has replied to your email does not change them, so I think your question should remain closed.

ps: I don't use "crank" as a derogatory or disrespectful term, I use crank to refer to non-experts who insist on attacking famous open problems and/or their ideas/"solutions" to them, without any indication that they have the required knowledge and capability to solve the problem (or even worse showing signs that they have problems understanding even basic concepts of the topic).

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    $\begingroup$ thank you for your answer. I appreciate that you are honest in that you state all of your reasons and intentions, even though I respectfully disagree. $\endgroup$
    – Craig Feinstein
    Commented Jan 5, 2014 at 21:08
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    $\begingroup$ -1 for ref to "cranks". also wikipedia entry you cite states "Crank" is a pejorative term used for a person who holds an unshakable belief that most of his or her contemporaries consider to be false. are you unfamiliar with the definition of pejorative? and how exactly do you think that definition applies to feinstein? $\endgroup$
    – vzn
    Commented Jun 9, 2014 at 22:19

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