Identify the source
Choose a proof already in the original collection. Record its problem ID, statement, proof location and source revision so readers can compare your account with it.
View the source collection ↗Beyond the original problem collection
Readable accounts
of NLA proofs.
The Open Problems in Numerical Linear Algebra collection records problems and their solutions. Here, contributors write their own explanations of those proofs for readers who want to work through them.
You do not need to have solved the problem or written the original proof. Explain an existing proof in your own words, credit its mathematical authors, and receive credit for your explanatory work.
Papers and videos are both welcome. The library is open to everyone, independently of the optional competition.
Why this site exists
Why collect explanations?
As proofs rapidly accumulate in mathematics, understanding them becomes a task of its own. A completed argument may leave a reader unsure why a particular approach works, where an assumption matters, or what the result is useful for.
This site collects the work of making those points clear. Contributors explain proofs already in the repository, adding historical background, applications or worked examples when they help. The aim is for readers to reconstruct an argument and carry its ideas into other problems. Each digest cites the repository status and credits the digest authors for their explanatory work.
The library
What belongs in a proof digest?
The measure of a digest is what a reader understands after reading it. An elementary proof can make an excellent digest if it reveals an idea clearly.
Work through the argument
Explain the central idea and the essential steps. Historical attribution, applications and worked examples can help readers see why the result matters and how the proof works.
Guidance for contributors →Submit for review
Send a link to your paper or video and a plain-text overview. Organisers review submissions and agree any public version with the author before publication.
Submission guidance →The library
Browse papers and videos.
Accepted explanations receive their own library pages with author credit, a citation to the original proof, and a DOI for the archived work. Contributions are welcome throughout the year; entering the competition is not required. No entries have been published yet.
View the library →Competition
Competition entries close 30 November 2026
Eligible contributors may opt in when submitting to the library. Four judges will assess competition entries for their contribution to human understanding. Prize recipients will be authors of a curated write-up of the selected explanations and will receive a certificate and cash prize.
Judges and prizes →