Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Variational method (disambiguation)


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was   keep. The discussion as to the proper name and format of the page can continue on its talkpage. J04n(talk page) 11:00, 27 March 2013 (UTC)

Variational method (disambiguation)

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There are only two articles, which can just as well link to each other. As an alternative, this page may be moved to variational method and the page currently bearing that name to Variational method (quantum mechanics) -- I have no preference. Qwertyus (talk) 22:01, 20 March 2013 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Science-related deletion discussions. • Gene93k (talk) 00:28, 21 March 2013 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Disambiguations-related deletion discussions. • Gene93k (talk) 00:28, 21 March 2013 (UTC)


 * Comment. This really isn't a disambiguation page according to WP:DISAMBIG. These are examples of Calculus of Variations applied to particular problems. I think my suggestion is that Variational method should redirect to Calculus of Variations, (Variational methods already redirects there). The article at Variational method should be renamed Variational method (quantum mechanics) and Calculus of variations should include pointers in the lede to these important examples. Variational methods in general relativity and maybe Variational methods (physics) should probably figure in here somewhere too. So I think that makes this a delete vote. Dingo1729 (talk) 00:55, 22 March 2013 (UTC)
 * Comment Dingo has noticed multiple other instances of variational methods. That's probably more than enough to create a proper disambiguation page, even if a bunch of them should redirect to each other. Ray  Talk 03:09, 22 March 2013 (UTC)
 * I think you're missing the point that there's nothing ambiguous about "variational method(s)" and this doesn't fit WP:DISAMBIG. Dingo1729 (talk) 03:25, 22 March 2013 (UTC)


 * Keep I add two more links to the page on general relativity and the finite element method. Even if these instances are all related to calculus of variations, they still need disambiguation because they all have different semantics; try explaining FEM to someone using the language and ideas of quantum mechanics. The difference between variational method and variational principle is going to be subtle, too, for those who don't already have an understanding of these topics. --Mark viking (talk) 18:40, 23 March 2013 (UTC)
 * Comment I think it's safe to say that variational method needs to be renamed. Maybe the disambig page can be changed to a list of applications of variational methods? Qwertyus (talk) 12:34, 23 March 2013 (UTC)
 * I agree that Variational Method needs to be renamed. I tried to rename it myself, but I wasn't able to. So I put a Requested Move on the talk page of that article. Dingo1729 (talk) 16:29, 23 March 2013 (UTC)
 * I agree, too, that the article needs to be renamed. list of applications of variational methods is a reasonable name and is more accurate than the current title. --Mark viking (talk) 18:45, 23 March 2013 (UTC)
 * I also agree that Variational method (disambiguation) needs to be renamed. However I think we should discuss what it should be renamed to. I think that List of examples of Calculus of variations would be a better title as "Calculus of variations" is more common than "Variational methods" and we seem to be using them interchangeably. There is also the option of simply merging this into Calculus of variations. Dingo1729 (talk) 22:47, 23 March 2013 (UTC)
 * Or List of applications of Calculus of variations]. Dingo1729 (talk) 22:53, 23 March 2013 (UTC)


 * Keep either as a dab (its current state) or expanded into a broad-concept article. The status quo ante (in which "variational method" pointed to one very specific case of this class of methods) is not a good solution, so the nominator's suggestion of having two articles that link to each other (per WP:PRIMARYTOPIC) doesn't work. —David Eppstein (talk) 02:07, 26 March 2013 (UTC)
 * Are there things called "Variational methods" other than Calculus of Variations ? If not then the broad-concept article is already there. I really don't know this area well, so I'd be interested in references to any other variational methods. Variational methods is a simple redirect at the moment. Dingo1729 (talk) 03:22, 26 March 2013 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.