[peer-review] Add intuition behind mathematical equations #12
Description
Peter Turcan, May 17: The equations are somewhat daunting and difficult to determine what is good practice and what is not. Perhaps add text to describe best practices in certain situations.
Suggestions of Best Practices for Equations in Documentation
In Applied Mathematics/Biology papers we general use this setup to talk to both biologists and mathematicians without losing both:
- Intuitive Explanation (Plain English)
- Describe the purpose and “story” behind the equation without symbols.
- Use analogies or simple visuals to illustrate why the formula matters.
- Formal Statement (Math Symbols)
- Display the equation in a visually distinct call-out box or shaded block.
- Define every symbol immediately below the equation (or in a margin note).
Also I'm used to seeing formal math isolated in standalone boxes across papers: it is useful to isolate high-level technical description from the document flow.
Maybe it's something that can be applied here.
> **Intuition (Plain-English):**
> Describe what the equation achieves and why it’s useful in everyday terms.
>
> **(Optional) Visual/Analogy:**
> Provide a short diagram or metaphor to reinforce understanding.
>
> ```latex
> \[
> \text{(Equation Here)}
> \]
> ```
> <small>
> **Where**
> - \(a\) = …
> - \(b\) = …
> - \(\ln\) = natural logarithm
> </small>
>
> **Step-by-Step Numeric Example:**
> 1. Substitute sample values.
> 2. Show intermediate calculations in plain language.
> 3. Present the final numeric result and interpretation.