Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Variational method (disambiguation)

Variational method (disambiguation)

Variational method (disambiguation) (edit | talk | history | protect | delete | links | watch | logs | views) – (View log · Stats)

(Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL)

There are only two articles, which can just as well link to each other. As an alternative, this page may be moved to variational method and the page currently bearing that name to Variational method (quantum mechanics) -- I have no preference. Qwertyus (talk) 22:01, 20 March 2013 (UTC)

Note: This debate has been included in the list of Science-related deletion discussions. • Gene93k (talk) 00:28, 21 March 2013 (UTC)

Note: This debate has been included in the list of Disambiguations-related deletion discussions. • Gene93k (talk) 00:28, 21 March 2013 (UTC)

• Comment. This really isn't a disambiguation page according to WP:DISAMBIG. These are examples of Calculus of Variations applied to particular problems. I think my suggestion is that Variational method should redirect to Calculus of Variations, (Variational methods already redirects there). The article at Variational method should be renamed Variational method (quantum mechanics) and Calculus of variations should include pointers in the lede to these important examples. Variational methods in general relativity and maybe Variational methods (physics) should probably figure in here somewhere too. So I think that makes this a delete vote. Dingo1729 (talk) 00:55, 22 March 2013 (UTC)
• Comment Dingo has noticed multiple other instances of variational methods. That's probably more than enough to create a proper disambiguation page, even if a bunch of them should redirect to each other. Ray^Talk 03:09, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

I think you're missing the point that there's nothing ambiguous about "variational method(s)" and this doesn't fit WP:DISAMBIG. Dingo1729 (talk) 03:25, 22 March 2013 (UTC)

• Keep I add two more links to the page on general relativity and the finite element method. Even if these instances are all related to calculus of variations, they still need disambiguation because they all have different semantics; try explaining FEM to someone using the language and ideas of quantum mechanics. The difference between variational method and variational principle is going to be subtle, too, for those who don't already have an understanding of these topics.