Name for someone whose interest might be to discredit one's results by trying to find hypothetical mistakes?
Solution 1:
Such an individual could be described as a cynic, or a cynical and captious person.
Caveat: when expressing such an evaluation to royalty, care must be taken, as unforeseen and quite gruesome consequences can result. First, locate your points of egress. Second, ensure no sharp or blunt objects are within the royal reach, e.g., daggers, scepters, falchions, maces, guillotines, etc. Third, the evaluation should be accompanied with much bowing and scraping.
e.g., "My Queen, I find your rejection of my suggestions for a wardrobe makeover utterly cynical and captious! Ah, of course I mean that in the nicest, most flattering way, your Majesty."
cynical adjective
1: captious, peevish
2: having or showing the attitude or temper of a cynic
cynic noun
2: a faultfinding captious critic (especially: one who believes that human conduct is motivated wholly by self-interest)
captious adjective
1: marked by an often ill-natured inclination to stress faults and raise objections
2: calculated to confuse, entrap, or entangle in argument
(all linked definitions courtesy of Merriam-Webster online)
Solution 2:
naysayer
nay•say•er (ˈneɪˌseɪ ər)
n. a person who habitually expresses negative or pessimistic views.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/naysayer
Other possibilities
cynic
defeatist
killjoy
wet blanket etc.
Solution 3:
"Nit-picking" is defined by Merriam-Webster as "minute and usually unjustified criticism". From this comes "nitpicker", someone who engages in nit-picking.
Solution 4:
faultfinder or fault-finder (noun):
-
a person who criticizes someone or something, often in a way that is not fair or reasonable
Source: M-W
-
a person given to finding fault; chronic captious complainer
Source: Collins
The first, recorded recipient of the above 'nickname' was most probably Timaeus , the ancient Greek historian.
'Timaeus was so free in his criticisms of just about everybody that he was wittily dubbed Epitimaeus: Mr Faultfinder.'
Source: The Greek Historians: Epilogue p101