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Human verification

Refereeing on ProofForum

There is no public directory of certified referees. Certification is visible where it matters: a qualifying verification is signed by the referee on the exact theorem, lemma or proposition they reviewed.

Apply to become a certified referee

What reviewers can do

Open a paper and select a primary mathematical structure. Every logged-in user can add a positive check, raise a concern and comment. Checks from normal users remain yellow. Academic referees have verified institutional email and their independent positive checks count toward the institutional consensus threshold. Certified referees can additionally sign a definitive verification or mark a structure incorrect, but only when the paper intersects a subject scope assigned by the administrator (grouped under broad macro areas such as Algebra, Analysis and Geometry, or when they carry the explicit All mathematics scope). Managing Editor privileges are separate from Certified Referee authority. A Managing Editor may submit the ordinary review available to their base account role and may use the separate purple editorial insight annotation in scope, but certified verification and the certified-only incorrect verdict require an actual in-scope Certified Referee role (or administrator authority). Every action is tied to the exact version.

Accountability without a directory

A green structure shows the referee who signed that verification. ProofForum does not publish a browseable list of all certified referees.

Comments are different from certification. Any logged-in user may discuss a proof. Normal-user positive checks remain yellow. Five independent academic referees with verified institutional email can create green institutional consensus. In-scope Certified Referees can sign a certified green verification, raise a certified orange concern, or mark a structure incorrect in red. Managing Editor scope remains editorial and does not create certified review authority. Assigned scope is shown with the relevant public profile/review identity.