What's the meaning of the question mark?

Hover over the graph where the line for puzzle rating ends and it will show the ratings at that time. You may need to adjust the sliders for time interval if it's been farther in the past than the default graph shows.

For example, this is what it looks like for mine:

I intentionally used a "private window" to show that it works for anyone's account, not just yours.

@mkubecek said in #11:

Hover over the graph where the line for puzzle rating ends and it will show the ratings at that time. You may need to adjust the sliders for time interval if it's been farther in the past than the default graph shows.

For example, this is what it looks like for mine:

I intentionally used a "private window" to show that it works for anyone's account, not just yours.

Wow! It's not easy to do if someone solved it one day every five years, for example, but it's possible. Thanks!
The result will still be saved in history. But it would be more convenient if it were displayed in separate statistics, like with record ratings.
Because this method requires some thought, and then some thorough research.

@Italiya said in #12:

Wow! It's not easy to do if someone solved it one day every five years, for example, but it's possible.

Nothing complicated. It is displayed on the profile page and you can select a range (month, year or all time) and each graph is highlighted in its own color.
There is no need to display the rating separately in the profile, since the rating in the tasks was not intended as a competitive element. It is needed so that you can solve puzzles at your own level. If rating will disappear you can just solve a few puzzles and it will return if it is so important for you.

@Italiya said in #6:

As for additional accounts, you can create a thread about it; I'll even support you.

Additional accounts are allowed if they are within Lichess ToS. There are specific cases when you can create additional accounts. "Post messages on the forum" - is not one of the allowed reasons.

@Italiya said in #8:

let's say you've solved 500 puzzles and have a rating, no matter what. If you, roughly speaking, abandon this activity for a year, your rating will disappear.

Why do you think the rating will disappear? I've never heard this before.
I haven't played Rapid for almost two years, but still have my number.

@mcgoves said in #14:

Why do you think the rating will disappear? I've never heard this before.
I haven't played Rapid for almost two years, but still have my number.

He phrased it clumsily. What he meant was that the displayed puzzle rating on the profile page will disappear and be replaced with a question mark. That is, the rating itself won’t be gone — just its visibility.

But I also don’t understand why this is a problem. Just solve a couple of puzzles and it’s fixed.

I know. But it's not true. My Rapid rating is still visible on my profile page. Pushwood's 2 year-old puzzle rating is still visible on his. The rating number isn't hidden when the RD rises above the ? threshold, or ages out.

Here's a better (longer) example. Ben Finegold hasn't played here in over 5 years.
https://lichess.org/@/CCSCATL

@mcgoves said in #17:

Here's a better (longer) example. Ben Finegold hasn't played here in over 5 years.

He meant cases like this:
https://lichess.org/@/PracVova

Where puzzle rating disappears after some time and question mark appears. But I saw it only in some accounts. Sometimes rating is with question mark and sometimes there is rating and question mark like in Blitz or Rapid when you don't play for long period of time. May be this happened due some Lichess updates and not all users were affected. Anyway I don't see such problem nowadays too. And even if this problem (?) would still be actual I don't see any problem in it because you can just solve a few puzzles and that's all if puzzle rating is so important to you.

I suspect that the player you linked did most of those 1K puzzles unrated. There are only 3 days where the rating actually changed. It certainly takes more than 3 data points before the initial ? is replaced with a number.
A number with a question mark, like any other provisional rating, only indicates that the RD is high. Sometimes the number does get replaced with a question mark; this is done when the puzzle rating is so much higher than the game rating(s) that it is suspicious. Iirc, lichess does this not to punish anyone, but to remove a would-be cheater's motivation.

@mcgoves said in #19:

I suspect that the player you linked did most of those 1K puzzles unrated.
I just tested this theory and when you solve puzzles without rating they are not counted. So all 1K puzzles were rated.

I just noticed that for some reason if it was long ago some players has rating and question mark and some players have just question mark. So probably this is the result of some Lichess update regarding puzzles functionality.

@mcgoves said in #19:

It certainly takes more than 3 data points before the initial ? is replaced with a number.

Rating appears after 3 solved puzzles. But this rating goes with question mark (provisional rating). After you solve 13 puzzles question mark will disappear.

@mcgoves said in #19:

Sometimes the number does get replaced with a question mark; this is done when the puzzle rating is so much higher than the game rating(s) that it is suspicious.

Hmm... Are you sure about it or it is your assumption? Theoretically it is possible but I think puzzle rating is independent from other time controls. For example in the account above that I provided puzzle rating was similar to his other ratings and he still got question mark.
I think that it is just result of technical updates. This is more possible. And it is not a problem anyway I think.

@mcgoves said in #19:

Iirc, lichess does this not to punish anyone, but to remove a would-be cheater's motivation.

I never saw that someone was flagged for cheating in puzzles. This has no sense. Players who do it just fool themselves. Puzzles made not for competition with other players but to improve your skills. That's why cheating there is allowed but this only will harm person who cheats.