John Kerl
[email protected]
Feb. 25, 2007
Now that you simply’re majoring in even handed one of the most technical disciplines
(engineering, science, or math), you’re going to be spending a
foremost quantity of time communicating in writing with others. You would possibly possibly possibly possibly unbiased procure
that beforehand unimportant diminutive print, equivalent to crossing your z’s,
now develop into vital — no longer excellent so that others can realize you, but
additionally so that you simply possibly can steer clear of mistaking your beget 2z for
z2 and so on. Here is necessary if your
handwriting (fancy mine!) is no longer as a lot as wonderful.
Sooner than I proceed, clutch a unique peep at our Roman alphabet, the digits, and
the Greek alphabet:
Survey that these automatically typeset symbols are all mosey and clear
(as a substitute of that lowercase omicron and quite loads of the uppercase Greek letters peep
fancy Roman letters — we don’t use these “duplicates”).
When we write by hand, though, symbols can develop into ambiguous —
we’re no longer machines, and things gain rather loopy after we bustle. In
prose, surrounding letters can disambiguate a questionable letter — e.g.
you possibly can bet that the fourth letter of hou*e has to be an s.
But in mathematical expressions we mix symbols from varied alphabets, in
varied orders, so context can’t help us — and after we bet,
we gradually bet sinful. So it now becomes vital that every letter be
clearly recognizable by itself merits.
Here are samples, adopted by the aspects I keep in thoughts most necessary.
Lowercase Roman letters:
- Frequently create the lowercase l cursive —
otherwise it appears to be like to be like fancy a 1.
Be mosey it’s taller than an e:
,
,
.
The lowercase l isn’t a correct variable name to utilize (since it can
peep fancy a 1), but different folks use it and so you’ll be seeing more of
it. - Procure a degree approach out of the pinnacle of the p, to distinguish it from a
rho:
,
. - Place a loop on the q, to handbook clear of bewilderment with 9:
,
. - Place a hook on the underside of the t so it doesn’t peep fancy a
plus imprint:
,
. - Place a tail on the u, so it doesn’t peep fancy a v:
,
. - Protect the v and w pointy on the underside so they don’t
peep fancy nu and omega, respectively:
,
,
,
. - Place a hook on the x to distinguish it from a times imprint:
,
.
In third-semester calculus and onward you’ll be the use of the times imprint quite
gradually. - Contaminated your z’s. Else they peep fancy 2’s:
,
.
Uppercase Roman letters:
Digits:
Lowercase Greek letters:
- Many incoming inexperienced persons aren’t conversant in Greek letters, and
substitute alphas with a’s, and so on. In actual fact, though,
you’re going to be seeing more and more Greek letters as you scurry on. Your
mathematical world is rising — accept it, and learn to utilize this
ravishing alphabet. - Procedure the alpha in one easy swoosh. Watch out it doesn’t peep fancy a
2:
,
. - Place a long tail on the eta and mu to retain them from taking a peek fancy n
and cursive u, respectively:
,
,
,
. - Place a hook on the pinnacle of the lambda:
. - The nu is a extremely sinister letter — it appears to be like to be like fancy too many others!
Unfortunately, different folks use it. Include the hook on the left, and the
point on the underside, to retain it from taking a peek fancy a u or v or
upsilon:
,
,
,
. - We don’t use omicron — it’s the same to a Roman
o. - The upsilon is correct as sinister because the nu. Fortunately, no longer many folks use it.
Be mosey it doesn’t peep fancy a u, v, or nu:
,
,
,
. - Protect the sever in the phi vertical; abet the sever in the empty-situation image
slanted:
,
. - The decrease-case chi is delicate, and unfortunately it gets aged loads. Procure
the upward sever far bigger than the downward sever to distinguish this letter
from lowercase x and uppercase X:
,
,
. - Protect the omega rounded to distinguish it from w. This one gets aged
loads in physics capabilities.
,
.
Uppercase Greek letters:
