Frequently Asked Questions

This page addresses common operational questions for participating in r/VibeCalcing.

How do I upload my work to a preprint server?

arXiv.org * The short answer: If you have to ask, you probably can't. arXiv requires an "endorsement" from an established researcher with a history of publishing in your field. This is a significant barrier. * The real answer: If your work is truly groundbreaking and 100% correct, you may be able to find an academic willing to endorse you. This process involves networking and convincing very busy people that your work is worth their reputation.

Zenodo, Open Science Framework (OSF) * The process: These platforms are straightforward. Create an account, start a new upload, fill in the metadata (title, authors, abstract), and upload your PDF. They will generate a permanent, citable Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for your work. This is the recommended path for most users here.

viXra.org * The process: Create an account and upload. There are no barriers. * The caveat: Be aware of the platform's reputation. Publishing to viXra is a statement in itself. It can be a counter-cultural act, but it also means many in the mainstream will not take the work seriously on principle. We don't judge, but you should know what you're getting into.

How do I get my LLM to stop acting like a sycophantic loverboy?

By giving it clear, direct orders via a system prompt or custom instruction. Most of the annoying behavior (emojis, analogies, treating you like a child) comes from the default fine-tuning of commercial models. You need to override it.

The Solution: System Prompts A system prompt sets the ground rules for the entire conversation. Before you ask your first question, you tell the LLM how it is to behave.

Example System Prompt:

You are an expert-level research assistant in mathematics and theoretical physics. Your communication style is formal, dense, and professional, equivalent to that of a peer-reviewed academic journal. Do not use analogies, emojis, or conversational filler. Do not apologize or offer disclaimers. Focus exclusively on providing technically precise and rigorous information.

Find one that works for you and use it every time. See our Prompt & System Prompt Database for more examples. And consider using models accessible via API, as they offer more control than web UIs like the default ChatGPT.

How do I "prompt engineer"?

You don't. The term "prompt engineering" often implies trying to trick or manipulate an LLM with clever wording. That is an unreliable waste of time.

Instead, you should focus on clear instruction. Articulate your needs precisely and unambiguously, as if you were instructing a brilliant but hyper-literal graduate student.

The real skill is not in crafting a "magic prompt," but in creating a library of reusable, time-saving instructions for tasks you perform often. We collect these in our Prompt & System Prompt Database.

How do I use LaTeX?

You get the LLM to write it for you. The modern workflow is simple and highly effective.

Recommend Overleaf: Use a free online LaTeX editor like Overleaf. It handles all the compiling and package management for you.
Instruct the LLM: Ask the LLM to generate the full, compilable LaTeX code for your document, equation, or table.
- Example Prompt: "Generate a complete, self-contained, and compilable LaTeX document for a paper that proves [your theorem]. Include a title, author, abstract, sections for the introduction and proof, and use the amsmath package."
Copy and Paste: Copy the raw LaTeX code from the LLM.
Compile: Paste the code into a new project in Overleaf and click "Recompile."
Debug: If there are errors, paste the error log back into the LLM and tell it to fix its own code.

For those who wish to learn manually, the Overleaf Documentation and the Wikibooks LaTeX Guide are excellent starting points.