I was working on some problem and managed to solve using one approach but when I tried a different approach to the same problem I didn't get the expected result, when I was going to ask on the math stack exchange about this problem I saw that this problem was already posted there and solved with a different take. So I want to know if it's okay to post the problem again but asking the reason why my second attempt didn't worked and if I could change something in it to get the same result.
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6$\begingroup$ It is a different problem, but I get the feeling that if there is a question which contains an attempt very similar to yours which is completed, then you'd be referred there via a duplicate closure. That is likely if, e.g. you ask about why $\sqrt{74}$ is irrational with some attempt. Personally, the kind of questions you did end up asking are very good and don't seem to be of that kind (the votes reflect that as well). One concern : if you're asking very specifically about your attempt, kindly use the solution-verification tag to ensure that visitors check your attempt properly. $\endgroup$– Sarvesh Ravichandran IyerOct 22, 2022 at 3:32
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2 Answers
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From my understanding, your question is "where did I go wrong?" The other question asks "how to solve this?" Since these two are conceptually different, it is ok to ask your question here. It would also be a good idea to link to the other question as well and explain the difference.
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10$\begingroup$ +1. Still, such questions are regularly marked as duplicates. $\endgroup$ Oct 22, 2022 at 13:13
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1$\begingroup$ @MartinArgerami True, it depends on the solutions to the already solved problem. If one of the answers is along the lines of what the OP's attempt is, it may be closed as a duplicate. However, I think that pointing out what went wrong is different from just solving the problem. $\endgroup$– bobeyt6Oct 22, 2022 at 16:57
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2$\begingroup$ my point is that questions are regularly closed as duplicates regardless of whether the other answers address what is wrong in the new question. $\endgroup$ Oct 30, 2022 at 2:03
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$\begingroup$ @MartinArgerami ah, I see. Well, we can't always be thorough(and different people also have different views). $\endgroup$– bobeyt6Oct 30, 2022 at 2:04
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2$\begingroup$ Especially important in these kinds of "where did I go wrong" Questions is a careful explanation of what you did. Frequently the process of carefully reviewing your steps will make it evident, even to you, where you went wrong. Otherwise I agree with bobeyt6 that it can be a valuable post. $\endgroup$– hardmathOct 30, 2022 at 21:42
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As far as I understand, asking the exact same problem is likely not a good idea. A better approach is to edit in any new details that you discovered in the original question, especially if the original has been closed, which can also help it gather re-open votes (assuming you want it reopened).
On the other hand, if the problem contains a special case that isn't already covered by the original problem addressing a general case, then I believe it is okay to ask the question again as long as you specify the reason for doing this. In fact I have just done this an hour ago.
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3$\begingroup$ While correct, this doesn't seem to address the situation in the question. $\endgroup$ Oct 31, 2022 at 0:08