# How Rigid Is the Multiple Question Rule When Analyzing Mathematical Concepts?

I was wondering if there could be exceptions to the multiple question rule when analyzing mathematical concepts.

For example, suppose a user quotes a math-related paragraph on Wikipedia, and wants to ask what it means. To break down this overarching question, would it be reasonable to bundle together many specific questions, such as, "what does A represent in Text X," "what does B + C represent in Text X," "if we modify Text X to say Y, how would it affect C," "is Text X assuming a rectangular coordinate system," etc.?

These may be of mild interest when asked as separate questions, but become more valuable in virtue of supplying an understanding of the paragraph (which is what the questioner needed in the first place). The whole may be greater than the sum of the parts. Furthermore, if asked as separate questions, the conjoined answers may not mesh as well as if a single person had answered the whole thing. If combining such questions is more valuable to later readers as well as the questioner, would this constitute an acceptable deviation from the multiple question rule?

• The "exception" to the multiple sub-question rule is when there is a substantial connection between the parts of the Question. Your description of asking about "a math-related paragraph on Wikipedia" is pretty broad brush. While it is natural that you might ask for help with understanding such a paragraph as a whole, rather than as individual sentences, discussion of possible modifications to the paragraph {and what such modifications might mean) strikes me as stretching the point too far. Perhaps an actual Question (one of real interest to you) will strike a more sympathetic chord. Mar 13 '19 at 4:19
• Consider this question (freemathhelp.com/forum/threads/…) where the sub-questions are aimed at establishing an understanding of inexact differentials through the distance example. Assume that extra context would be added to make the central idea clear, when migrated to SE. Mar 13 '19 at 19:41
• What you describe is I think normal for this website. Here are two examples of such questions I recently looked at. I generally view questions as not looking for "in what way do I need to arrange words in order to get a proof of $X$", but rather how can I gain insight to $Y$, here a proof of $X$ (and possibly some help about $X_2,X_3, X_4$) seems like the best way forward. Mar 23 '19 at 12:12