Frequently Asked Questions

Answers

Can you send me a copy of a thesis whose title I found in your database?

The Mathematics Genealogy Project only catalogs the information displayed on our site. In most cases, we have done this through data submitted by our site's visitors. Thus, we have never even seen a copy of the thesis, let alone made an archival copy of it. If you are really interested in getting ahold of a thesis, you might try contacting the library at the university that granted the degree. (No, we do not maintain contact information for such libraries, so please do not email us to ask.) Back to top.

I think some of your data is wrong. How do I have it corrected?

Please click the link the individual's page to submit a data update. We will process your submission as time allows, as we review all submissions by hand. You may also wish to contact us regarding your question. Back to top.

I found two entries in your data for the same mathematician. How should I report this?

Please use the contact form, selecting the "Report a duplicated entry" option.Back to top.

I submitted a data update, but I see no changes to the individual's information

All of our data is currently reviewed and processed manually, so there will be a delay in the update being reflected in our online database. Please do not submit data updates multiple times. If one month has passed and your data update still is not reflected, you may want to contact us. Back to top.

I'm researching my family's genealogy, and I have found a Dr. Jane Q. Mathematician in my ancestry. There is a Jane Q. Mathematician listed on your website. Can you provide me any further information?

The Mathematics Genealogy Project catalogs information on individuals with doctoral degrees in mathematics. In our genealogy, one's parent(s) are his/her doctoral advisor(s). All information that we have in our database is listed on that person's page. If you believe the individual in our database may still be alive, you might try searching the Combined Membership List of the major American and Canadian mathematical organizations. Back to top.

I would like to contact Dr. John Q. Mathematician whose name I found on your site. How can I email him?

The listing of an individual in our database does not imply any connection to the Department of Mathematics at North Dakota State University or the American Mathematical Society. Because of the tremendous number of mathematicians in our database, we are unable to maintain current contact information for them. You might try searching the Combined Membership List of the major American and Canadian mathematical organizations. Back to top.

Will you provide a link from my genealogy page to my personal or work home page?

No. We are kept busy adding new records to our database and correcting errors in existing records; our limited time and budget do not allow us to keep up-to-date website links for mathematicians in our database. Back to top.

Where do you get your data?

We depend on information from our visitors for most of our data. In cases of partial information, we search Dissertation Abstracts International in an effort to find complete information. We have also entered a considerable amount of data found on lists of graduates maintained by individual departments. If you have data to provide, our submission form is the best way to submit it. For large quantities of data, you may contact us about other means of submitting. Back to top.

How complete is your data?

This is rather hard to quantify. As the project got started, we received complete data lists from the majority of the PhD-granting mathematics departments in the United States. We now rely on community submissions of data, which means that our data for the immediate past year or two may have large gaps, but looking back five or six years will be relatively complete. We are constantly adding more data from around the world, and there are certainly countries where our coverage is better than in others. We encourage anyone with data we are missing to fill out the appropriate form to submit it for processing. Back to top.

What do the flags on mathematicians' pages represent?

The flags displayed on mathematicians' pages are intended to represent the country of the school from which they received their degree(s). In some cases, we have inadvertently omitted the appropriate link to provide the flag. You may contact us to have this corrected. Back to top.

What is a good way to display information on my mathematical ancestry?

We make personalized genealogy posters that are a great way to show off your mathematical ancestry. All proceeds go to support the students who work on the project and other costs associated with maintaining the project. Back to top.

How many visitors do you get to your site?

In April 2014, 98,477 different users visted our site, accounting for 128,289 different sessions. Back to top.

I think I found a bug with your site. Who do I contact?

Technical questions, suggestions, and bug reports should be submitted via the "Other inquiry" option on our contact form. Back to top.

I have a question not answered here. Who should I contact?

Please use our contact form, selecting the contact reason that most closely aligns with the subject of your question. Back to top.