Do you have any ideas about how it could be made easier to find out whether you're just rediscovering previous work?
Eliminate context, reduce problems to their abstract fundamentals, collaborate with other people who might have a chance of having been exposed to similar problems in other domains.
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.
Notes for future OT posters:
1. Please add the 'open_thread' tag.
2. Check if there is an active Open Thread before posting a new one. (Immediately before; refresh the list-of-threads page before posting.)
3. Open Threads should be posted in Discussion, and not Main.
4. Open Threads should start on Monday, and end on Sunday.