Wikipedia:Mediation Cabal/Cases/28 September 2011/Itō calculus

Request details
We need to resolve a harassment WP:HA issue in regards to contributing to the section of Differentiation in Ito Calculus in the Ito Calculus article. We have added a theory called "Quadratic Covariation Derivative" to the section along with the cited references. However, every time we try to put this theory, a group comes and immediately removes it and fudges the section, enticing an edit war; without even engaging in a constructive mathematical discussion. It turns out they have a "personal issue" with the author of this theory. However the Wiki is not a place to settle a score. We tried numerous times to solve this aggressive behavior by engaging in several discussions on the talk page, however their response is always resorting to reversion and deletion. We even agreed to leave the Malliavin derivative they put in the section even though it doesn't belong there as it is in the Gaussian settings. We enhanced the section to include the Quadratic Covariation along with Malliavin, however, they immediately deleted and removed the quadratic theory and left their own contribution. This aggressive and disrespectful behavior has been going on for the last three months or so. This is disrupting the contribution of this section and is leading to unproductive stress and conflict WP:CIV. We are contributing mathematical facts, this is not voicing an opinion. And the domineering and harassment behavior by a group to bully others for their own personal agenda is against the collegial spirit of the Wiki. Thank you. AaronKauf (talk) 00:07, 29 September 2011 (UTC)

By the way, at 20:45, 28 September 2011, I added the section for you all to see. And of course immediately within a minute, user William M. Connolley reverted it and with an insult, which proves my point and shows their true color. AaronKauf (talk) 00:07, 29 September 2011 (UTC)

Where is the dispute?
Article page: Ito Calculus, and the section in dispute is Differentiation in Ito Calculus.

Who is involved?
The following users are coordinating together to immediately revert, delete, and fudge the section as long as it doesn't contain the Quadratic Covariation Derivative:


 * William M. Connolley
 * Mathsci

Both are being sent by Hairer

What is the dispute?
All we wanted is putting a mathematical theory called Quadratic Covariation derivative and its reference in the section of Differentiation in Ito Calculus. This theory belongs to this section and is very relevant. However, those users are preventing me and other users from contributing and adding this theory to this section. Apparently, they have a personal issue with the author of this theory. However, the Wiki is not a vehicle to settle a score. We are talking about mathematical facts. We need to work in a democratic environment.

What steps have you already taken to try and resolve the dispute?
Long, tedious, and elaborate discussions have taken place on the talk page for about three months or so now. Please view discussion page in the article of Ito Calculus. We even agreed that the Malliavin derivative they wrote, which doesn't belong to this section, to be put along with the Quadratic Covariation Derivative. However, our attempt to work with them has been met with immediate deletion and reverting our edit, enticing an edit war; without even engaging in the mathematical discussion.

What issues needs to be addressed to help resolve the dispute
We are asking to work in a collegial environment to provide an accurate description of this section to all readers. We don't want any bullying, or harassment by those users just because they don't like our contribution. Our voice needs to be heard. We are expert mathematicians in this field, and we are providing our services to the public. Personal issues and settling scores do not have a place in the Wiki. This theory belongs to this section and we need this section to be written correctly and accurately.

What can we do to help resolve this issue?
Please look at the revision history of the section. You will see that they deleted and reverted our contribution. We can revert it back for you to see, but those users will immediately delete it as usual. Our contribution which is the Quadratic Covariation theory needs to be put in the section of Differentiation in Ito Calculus. It is a mathematical theory that belongs to this section, pure and simple.

Thank you very much in advance. AaronKauf (talk) 00:07, 29 September 2011 (UTC)

Comments from Mathsci
AaronKauf has not informed either William M. Connolley or me of this request. (I found out by accident because I have his talk page watchlisted.)

I do not agree to enter into any form of mediation with AaronKauf. On the basis of his edits so far, he does not appear to understand even the most basic policies for writing wikipedia articles. Here are two completely unsourced mathematical sub-stub BLPs created by him which have been prodded within the last day or so: Erhan Cinlar and Christian Houdré. Here are his unhelpful responses after being informed that these articles had been listed for deletion because of lack of sources. I don't want to have my time wasted by a user who has not informed himself of even the most basic editing principles of this encyclopedia. I have created or contributed to many mathematics articles on wikipedia, so have quite a bit of editing experience in this area. AaronKauf has so far attempted to discuss mathematics without using sources on talk pages. I am unwilling to have any kind of discussion of that kind on wikipedia, i.e. purely mathematical with no relation to the standard editing processes of this encyclopedia. Even experts in mathematics have to use sources when editing mathematics articles on wikipedia. My advice here is that, if AaronKauf seriously wishes to help improve this encyclopedia, he should find a mentor so that the problems he has created with the two BLPs above and his other edits can be avoided in the future. His claims of harassment are groundless as he has attempted to add content that has no notability either in standard textbooks on a well trodden subject or on mathscinet, the main international reviewing body.

This request for mediation is purely disruptive. The edits to the article on this subject are part of a long term problem with one returning user (see the two linked reports below), that has been going on for over four years long before I looked at the article. The problem has been discussed at WP:FTN here Fringe_theories/Noticeboard/Archive_27 and more recently on WP:ANI here Administrators'_noticeboard/IncidentArchive721. Despite being informed twice, AaronKauf did not respond during that report. It lists various problematic statements that he made, including the assertion that I am an WP:SPA: that remark verges on WP:TROLLING.

The whole of this request is malformed, since, even were it justified, it should involve all editors to the article in question, in particular, one of a long line of single purpose accounts mentioned in the two reports above. Over the years multiple editors have reverted the identical content that these accounts have tried to insert, for exactly the reasons I listed above. The editor he mentions above,, has made precisely 56 edits to wikipedia to date. Thanks, Mathsci (talk) 13:36, 29 September 2011 (UTC)