# 'Is my approach right' questions

I occasionally come across questions (such as this one: Prove that the $\sigma$ - algebras are equal) in which the person asking the question has already answered their question and wants to know whether their approach is right. There are two possibilities:

• Their approach is wrong. Then you can answer the question by pointing out where they went wrong and explaining the correct approach. If they really don't understand the subject, this can be quite difficult.
• Their approach is more or less right.

Has anyone got any good ideas for how to answer the question when the person asking it has got the question right and is using the right approach? Just saying 'Yes, your approach is right' is probably fine, but it doesn't fit in very well with the other questions on the site.

• I like it when the answers say "Yes, that approach is correct. Have you tried this way? It is longer, but lets you use that notion in a really nice way." Or something similar. Just some nugget that the OP might find useful or helpful. Oct 12 '13 at 11:38
• I recall another thread on this very subject, but I can't find it. Perhaps someone else can. Oct 12 '13 at 12:14
• Maybe @Farin is thinking of meta.math.stackexchange.com/questions/3589/… or of meta.math.stackexchange.com/questions/1878/… or meta.math.stackexchange.com/questions/4597/… or of meta.math.stackexchange.com/questions/9012/… (and there may be more where those came from). Oct 12 '13 at 23:07
• Even if the approach it right, most of the time I've find there is something to be commented upon in the presentation of the argument. In those cases I'll say something like "Yes, you're approach is correct, but the notation you're using for [...] is non-standard; more usual would be [...]". Oct 13 '13 at 18:51