Math Paper Collaboration

Contract

• Input: paper title, co-authors, citation database, computation artifacts.
• Output: shared repo + collaboration rules + arXiv package.
• Side effects: none.
• Dependencies: none.
• Stop condition: repository tagged; rules saved; package complete.
• Risk: low.
• Boundary: manages collaboration artifacts; does not write the mathematics.

Math Paper Collaboration

Coordinate a mathematical paper from first draft to arXiv submission — with version control, citation tracking, reproducible computation links, and co-author rules.

When to use

• A paper has multiple co-authors.
• A paper needs a reproducible computation appendix.
• A paper needs to be submitted to arXiv with clean source.

Process

1. Set up the repository

Choose:

• Overleaf — for LaTeX users who prefer an integrated editor; share link.
• GitHub + Overleaf sync — for version control + easy collaboration.
• Git + arXiv source — for full reproducibility; push source + compiled PDF.

Create:

• main.tex, references.bib, styles/.
• reproducibility/ folder linking to computation artifacts (see math-computation-reproducible).

Completion criterion: repository initialised; co-authors have access.

2. Citation database

• Maintain a single .bib file; no duplicate keys.
• Use bibtex or biber; declare a style (amsplain, alpha, etc.).
• Track sources: each entry links to a source (arXiv, journal, book).
• For each citation in the paper, confirm it supports the claim (not just nearby in text).

Completion criterion: .bib clean; citations verified.

3. Collaboration rules

Document (e.g. COLLABORATION.md):

• Who writes which section — by name / role.
• Review cycle — who reads which version; how comments are tracked.
• Merge rules — how edits are integrated (pull request / Overleaf track changes).
• Version tags — v0.1 (draft), v1.0 (submission), v1.1 (revision).
• Authorship order — confirmed by all co-authors.

Completion criterion: rules file saved and acknowledged by co-authors.

4. Reproducibility links

Link to computation artifacts:

• Git tag / DOI for the computation.
• Container image hash.
• Manifest file.

In the paper appendix, cite the computation: "Verified with SymPy 1.13; see repository [DOI] for code, container, and manifest."

Completion criterion: links present; reproducibility statement in appendix.

5. ArXiv package

Prepare:

• Source .tex + .bib + .sty.
• Figures (.tikz, .pdf).
• Compiled .pdf.
• Metadata (title.tex, abstract.tex).
• README.md describing the structure.

Completion criterion: package complete; arXiv upload possible.

Notes

• Pair with math-computation-reproducible for the computation appendix.
• Pair with math-formal-proof for a formal proof appendix.
• For co-authors using different tools, agree on .bib format early.