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I have noticed that correcting a mathematical mistake in post editing is not allowed; only minor changes are allowed. It is preferable to write a comment explaining the mistake.

The thing that troubles me most is that by not allowing to correct math mistakes we can lead readers to confusion, as they may not know who (the post's author or the person that replies in the comments) is spelling truth. For example, in this post there's a big mistake pointed out by egreg in the comments. A novice reader may not know who is right and therefore won't learn nothing.

I think accepting this kind of edits is the best option as we all commit mistakes every once in a while.

P.D.: Excuse my bad English! The post that I linked was recently edited by ArcticChar. Therefore I think there is a "loophole" here that should be discussed.

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    $\begingroup$ What is to be edited. $\endgroup$
    – amWhy
    Dec 23, 2021 at 23:47
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    $\begingroup$ @egreg acted appropriately, to point out the error. $\endgroup$
    – amWhy
    Dec 23, 2021 at 23:51
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    $\begingroup$ ^^^^^^ and they did so in a comment, as we've all learned to do. Please see the math.meta posts already addressing this, linked above. $\endgroup$
    – amWhy
    Dec 23, 2021 at 23:58
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    $\begingroup$ This is a request, not a question. $\endgroup$
    – moqui
    Dec 24, 2021 at 0:06
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    $\begingroup$ Math.meta.se is a question and answer site, just like all SE sites. This actually is a question, therefore, which you happened to tag as a question with a request. That's fine. I tried to show that this is not a new consideration for math.se. Sure, we can revisit it, now. I merely wanted to provide all users, including you, with information about previous questions such as yours. $\endgroup$
    – amWhy
    Dec 24, 2021 at 0:19

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You are new here, so welcome to Meta Math.SE.

I've downvoted your post to show disagreement with your request. That is not a criticism of your post per se, just the way that voting on Meta expresses agreement or disagreement on proposals.

If you are not satisfied with the status of a seven year old Answer on the site, it is certainly possible to do more than merely Comment. You could post a new Answer, referencing the previous one that you think has a "mathematical error".

There are several reasons not to do so regarding the particular post you linked to above. Besides the fact that the so-called error is now seven years past, the wording is only subtly different in egreg's Comment. Concern over someone who could not appreciate the difference for themselves is not likely to be mitigated by incorporating that change into someone else's post. Indeed it seems likely to me that most casual Readers would interpret "infinitely many values" (in a sequence) to mean "infinitely many distinct values". So I don't think that the original poster (of the Answer) necessarily feels it has to be changed; making a change needs to be weighed against bumping the Question for a modest edit.

That Answer provides a slightly different illustration from the one in the Accepted Answer. I'd expect it would be a careful Reader indeed who would spot the difference, and I congratulate you on being such a Reader. But the principle here is to respect the meaning and manner of expression of original posters. If you want to frame the same example in a better light, you are welcome to do so, and perhaps be rewarded for your efforts. In the meantime it's good to ask here about the site policies and software to that your participation in the Community can be productive.

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    $\begingroup$ I have to say that Arctic Char edited the post that I mentioned recently. Before that it didn't say infinitely many values or anything else. So, I don't know what to think know. $\endgroup$
    – moqui
    Dec 24, 2021 at 7:39
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    $\begingroup$ That was not an appropriate edit either, moqui. $\endgroup$
    – amWhy
    Dec 24, 2021 at 21:02
  • $\begingroup$ When third parties edit or approve a suggested edit, the Original Poster is notified of that and has the chance to overrule it (by rolling back the edit). $\endgroup$
    – hardmath
    Dec 25, 2021 at 13:40

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