Clarifying Questions in Math Information Retrieval

Abstract

One of the challenges of math information retrieval is the inherent ambiguity of mathematical notation. The use of various notations, symbols, and conventions can lead to ambiguities in math search queries, potentially causing confusion and errors. Therefore, asking clarifying questions in math search can help remove these ambiguities. Despite advances in incorporating clarifying questions for search, little is currently understood about the characteristics of these questions in math. This paper investigates math clarifying questions asked on the MathStackExchange community question answering platform, analyzing a total of 495,431 clarifying questions and their usefulness. The results of the analysis uncover specific patterns in useful clarifying questions that provide insight into the design considerations for future conversational math search systems. The formulae used in clarifying questions are closely related to those in the initial queries and are accompanied by common phrases, seeking for the missing information related to the formulae. Additionally, experiments utilizing clarifying questions for math search demonstrate the potential benefits of incorporating them alongside the original query.