# Retract a question when its resolution comes out to be trivial and some premise in title is likely wrong?

Just found out that my question A Zsigmondy-theorem-analogy in the generalized Collatz-problem $3x+\rho$? has a quite trivial solution and the premise (the analogy to a known numbertheoretic theorem (Zsigmondy-Bang) ) which led to my asking here for finding a solution along the proof-method of Zsigmondy is irrelevant.

Would MO prefer that I retract the question at all? Or change the title? Or leave it as it is (with my accepted self-answer)?

• I had a somewhat similar occurrence (mathoverflow.net/q/155114). I chose to put an edit at the beginning asking for the community to decide. I think the connection (though wrong) is interesting and worth preserving, especially if you can return to it and show how it inspired later work. Gerhard "Good Mistakes Are Worth Keeping" Paseman, 2017.09.06. Sep 6, 2017 at 17:06
• Good advice, @Gerhard ! Hmm, perhaps I can do some edit to make a lesson out of it. But still I'm rather tempted to take it away - I'll look at it again tomorrow. Sep 6, 2017 at 17:23
• When I am wondering whether I should delete a post of some kind, I add a comment saying "Vote this comment up if I should delete." If it gets some votes, then I take that as evidence to delete. Sep 7, 2017 at 12:08
• @Joel - this is a very good suggestion, thank you for that idea Sep 7, 2017 at 12:42
• Why not make it community wiki? Sep 8, 2017 at 19:25
• Unless there's some hidden cost, I would suggest it's a community service to leave such questions available. They will likely occur to more than one person in the future -- better for the community to have "it's trivial" recorded as an answer with explanation.
– Neal
Sep 10, 2017 at 17:20
• Someone should make an answer out of these comments. Sep 11, 2017 at 7:48

In the comments, Joel David Hamkins suggests:

Add a comment saying, "Vote this comment up if I should delete." If it gets votes, then take that as evidence to delete.

• I've added such a comment. Sep 21, 2017 at 8:44

In the comments, Gerhard "The Sobriquet Changes Every Time" Paseman suggests:

Put an edit at the beginning of the question asking for the community to decide whether to retract it.

• I've done such an edit, pointing to such an opinion-poll in a comment Sep 21, 2017 at 8:45

In the comments, Manfred Weis suggests:

Make it a community wiki.