Cilian O'Tuama Mar 11, 2012:

So it's okay to say: "disrespectful, time-wasting, and counterproductive." (thanks efreitag).

I obviously overstepped the mark by saying "disgraceful", and was subsequently squashed by comrade Enrique.

Valerie35 (X) (asker) Mar 10, 2012:

Thank you for the correct answer, sibsab and MSBerlin.

DLyons Mar 10, 2012:

It seems like "solve" is closest to what was intended - sibsab should post that.

There always is context - here the legal background for example, and more specifically Ref 4 which apparently describes what is meant. Presumably in there, the procedure is described in a way that would make the most satisfactory answer fairly evident.

Given the context of "mathematical operations on vectors" then "resolve" seemed most likely to me.

Erik Freitag Mar 10, 2012:

Why context is important Let me explain why I think the asker should have posted sufficient context from the beginning, and why I, while being reasonably skilled in maths (graduate university degree), do need this context if the asker wants anything she couldn't get by just looking it up in a dictionary or by doing some basic research on her own.

There is no doubt that everyone with basic understanding in maths will immediately think that the solution Sibsab suggests in the discussion box ("to calculate/solve the cross product") is most probably correct.

However, the asker obviously is not an expert in the field (nothing wrong with that). So how can she evaluate what context could be helpful to dispel doubts that the obvious solution is the correct one? She can't. She wasn't even sure what term to ask for in the beginning (Vektor/Vektorprodukt).

Valerie: The full sentence you finally granted us at 03:34 is really all that was needed (and you see: contrary to your initial belief, there actually WAS additional context). It wouldn't have hurt to quote it from the beginning.

This way of asking questions is disrespectful, time-wasting, and counterproductive.

-

That's what the Kudoz dashboard is for.

WriuszTran Mar 10, 2012:

I've come across this term before, no context is required (anymore than "what does 'multiply' mean in 'multiply a x b') - sibsab is right. I'm kind of wondering about the circus below in DLyon's answer.

Valerie35 (X) (asker) Mar 10, 2012:

"... as this is a mathematical term and understood by mathematicians"

Right, and I agree with the answer. But OK, I have opened the discussion again. Let's see what further enlightenment comes. "Asker doesn't know how to ask a question" is just a direct, unwarranted insult from Cilian O'Tuama, and he will provide no further insight with the context from the discovery document. Those were bullet points and there really IS NO OTHER CONTEXT.

Sabine Akabayov, PhD Mar 10, 2012:

I don't really care about the points I also think that that no context was required as this is a mathematical term and understood by mathematicians (I'm a scientist, so I didn't need any context). What is problematic IMHO is that the question was closed while discussions were still going on and only a few hours after asking the question.

Valerie35 (X) (asker) Mar 10, 2012:

If sibsab wants points, and wants to give an answer below, I would be glad to "un-close" the question. I have researched this further myself, and believe that he/she is right.

Valerie35 (X) (asker) Mar 10, 2012:

The entire context is: Löst man das Vektorprodukt analog zu [Ref. 4] auf, so ergibt sich für diesen Fall [Ref. 8].

This is in litigation, certain things are confidential, certain things are obfuscated with "Ref. xx" and I am not privy to even the original documents. I am not privy to what the references are. The above was the ENTIRE context for that. Does it help? I would really like an answer to that question.

DLyons Mar 9, 2012:

You can hardly expect a satisfactory answer without providing any context!

Valerie35 (X) (asker) Mar 9, 2012:

I think sibsab is the closest - from what I have googled, it looks like it just means to "give the answer" so to speak.

Sabine Akabayov, PhD Mar 9, 2012:

Vektorprodukt is the cross product (as opposed to the scalar product). The result of a cross product is another vector, the result of a scalar product is a scalar. "auflösen" just means to calculate/solve the cross product.

Cilian O'Tuama Mar 9, 2012:

or cross product as opposed to dot product

Kim Metzger Mar 9, 2012:

resolve vector products http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=257956

DLyons Mar 9, 2012:

Vektor auflösen Is just to resolve a vector (http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/vectors/u3l1e.cfm). It's not at all clear what Vektorprodukt auflösen might be - as efreitag says, more context is needed.

Erik Freitag Mar 9, 2012:

Context please. Please provide sufficient context. Let others decide what is helpful and what isn't.

Valerie35 (X) (asker) Mar 9, 2012:

Sorry ... Vektorprodukt auflösen, not Vektor auflösen. That makes a big difference, and I apologize for that.