Talk:Sylvester's theorem

List is OK, but the disamb is needed anyway

I have no objection to the List of topics named after James Joseph Sylvester, but the disambiguation page is necessary anyway because there are at least three distinct results which are often called "Sylvester's theorem"; and another three or four formulas and inequations that could be called by that name too. (A "list of" is not quite equivalent to a disamb; the latter is designed to help readers who are looking specifically for "Sylvester's theorem", and there are rules and robots that try to get rid of wikilinks to disambs, but not to lists.) All the best, --Jorge Stolfi (talk) 07:06, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

Currently "Sylvester's theorem" redirects to the list. We could split out the topics that are called "Sylvester's theorem" from the other mathematical topics named after Sylvester within the list; would that be good enough? Alternatively we could restore a {{mathdab}} page that only lists the things that really are likely to be called "Sylvester's theorem" and points to the list in a see-also section. —David Eppstein (talk) 07:08, 31 December 2009 (UTC)

That is my intent, the only question is which ones could be called "Sylvester's theorem" by authors out there. The first three of my list certainly are called so. The next four (which you just deleted), AFAIK, are equations and inequations that Sylvester proved, and therefore could rightfully be called "Sylvester's theorem" in their respective fields. The Law or Inertia in particular seems quite likely to be. That is only a guess, but methinks it is better to err on the side of the reader. All the best, --Jorge Stolfi (talk) 08:19, 31 December 2009 (UTC)