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If a person uses their own devices to study a subject, that is, their methods deviate from conventionally accepted methods due to lack of knowledge regarding mainstream mathematics, how do they disclose findings, or make minor propositions?

Paladin
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    Submit your work to peer reviewed journals. – David G. Stork Jun 26 '20 at 18:29
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    And also learn "conventionally accepted methods", too. They also help. – Dietrich Burde Jun 26 '20 at 18:51
  • There are two options: either you are an ordinary person and by lack of knowledge/culture you are just rediscovering old results and will bother the professionals, or you are a pure genius, which you should be aware of. Have you any idea of the coverage of "mainstream mathematics" ? –  Jun 26 '20 at 20:11
  • Reading about Srinivasa Ramanujan may give you some useful suggestions. – Somos Jun 26 '20 at 20:17
  • I'm afraid many would-be Ramanujans read the wrong things into his story. Ramanujan learned as much "mainstream mathematics" as was available to him at the time. If he had been given the opportunity to learn more, he might have been an even greater mathematician. – Robert Israel Jun 28 '20 at 21:59

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Your best bet may be to find somebody at a local university who works in the same subject and is willing to be a mentor to you. This is easiest if you are a student at that university, but even if you are not, they may be willing if they find your ideas interesting and you do not take too much of their time. You must be willing to study the "conventionally accepted methods": there are likely to be good reasons why your methods are not "conventionally accepted". That said, it is not unheard of for an amateur to come up with some significant new ideas that the professionals have missed.

Robert Israel
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