Where can I find someone knowledgeable in theoretical computer science
willing to provide kind but detailed criticism of some proofs I've come up
with? The subject of my proofs is by and large pretty elementary:
finite-state machines, finite-state machine minimization, and Turing
Machines.

I don't want to post the specific proofs here-- it would be pretty embarassing
if they were wrong. If my proofs have fixable problems, I'd like to be able
to send revisions back for more criticism (which wouldn't be very often;
it could take weeks for me to come up with a revision). Is it permissible to
pay for each round of criticism, assuming no laws or regulations are broken
by doing so?

I'm definitely not a student: I've been out of school more than ten years.
So they're not homework problems.

As for the qualifications of the person I'm looking for, I'd like someone
who has published at least one paper in theoretical computer science and
who has a PhD or has at least passed their PhD qualifying examinations.

Finally, an answer as simple as "write to the theorist at your local
university" won't do. A satisfactory answer must direct me to someone
who will actually respond in detail.

---

Request for Question Clarification by mathtalk-ga on 20 Dec 2004 10:22 PST

Hi, anova12-ga:

I'd be interested in helping with your project, but unfortunately the
Google Answers Terms of Service are quite clear in forbidding "out of
band" communications between Customers and Researchers.

Therefore my thought would be to "broker" a relationship between you
and someone interested in your project at a university or similar
institution, assuming you'd be open to that.  You seem to be happy
with the prospect of a critique by email approach, so I imagine that
with a bit more information about the subject of your proofs, a
suitable match can be found.

regards, mathtalk-ga

---

Clarification of Question by anova12-ga on 20 Dec 2004 15:16 PST

Yes, I am open to brokered relationships as you describe them
as long as they don't conflict with laws or regulations. 

As for the possibility of working with you, you may want to check 
how long we are forbidden from working. Usually there's some sort
of time bound on these sorts of things. 

So for the short term, yes, I will consider the question answered
if you can broker a relationship with someone who will provide 
specific critiques and who meets the qualifications in the original
question. But in the long term, if regulations allow it,
I'd also be open to working with you.

---

Request for Question Clarification by mathtalk-ga on 20 Dec 2004 18:03 PST

Hi, anova12-ga:

You describe the proofs you'd like a detailed criticism of as being
"elementary" and in the subject of theoretical computer science,
touching on finite-state automata and Turing machines in particular.

What level of study would best describe the questions you deal with? 
Undergraduate?  Graduate?  Research level?

regards, mathtalk-ga

---

Clarification of Question by anova12-ga on 21 Dec 2004 23:15 PST

The questions are at a research level, because they are attempting
to break some new ground. But the language used to ask them isn't 
beyond the first-semester graduate level theory course, where my 
training in theory largely ended.

anova12,
I pass over the specific answer to your question to others, but would
like to mention that ?write to the theorist at your local university?
is not as silly as it sounds. By phoning such a department they are
more than likely able to put you in contact with a peer familiar with
your subject, who would be willing to review your material.

I am thinking along the lines of a graduate/post graduate (student)
who has the necessary expertise and would be grateful (being a
student) for any mutually negotiated fee that may be involved.

It may also assist in locating appropriate parties, to be aware of a
service offered by google, that provides scholarly material, in any
given field. See here:
http://scholar.google.com/

Lastly google also has a list of universities (not complete) in its
database (if of any assistance). See here:
://www.google.com.au/options/universities.html

Kind regards,
gfmaster

anova12,
I had been hoping that a researcher or other commenter would have now
provided a specific answer to your question, but with the time that
has elapsed, I fear this is now not likely.

Attempts to locate an ?on-line? mentor/consultancy service for your
area of interest have failed and I would again urge you to consider
contacting an academic institution for assistance. Like the comments
provided here it would cost you nothing to try and may actually link
you up with a party, who can make the necessary critique of your work.

Something that may be of some small assistance (as it combines
tutorials and calculators relating to finite maths) is here:
http://people.hofstra.edu/faculty/Stefan_Waner/RealWorld/tcfinitep.html

The University of Hofsta, has both a Department of Mathematics &
Computer Science (linkable from my previous post) if you decide to
follow such a path.

Kind regards,
gfmaster