J 891
Posts:
154
Registered:
12/6/04
|
|
Re: Greek Alphebet
Posted:
Nov 9, 2003 6:35 AM
|
|
christina@norman31.freeserve.co.uk (arsenal) wrote in message news:<200311011523.hA1FN2r32474@proapp.mathforum.org>...
> On 25 Mar 2002, Lynn Killingbeck wrote:
> ><pre>
> >Tom Miller wrote:
> >>
> >> Hello,
> >> In my studies on triginometry, and calculus, I am comming across many
> >> symbols which appear to be the Greek Alphebet, as there was a chart of
> >> the Alphebet in the front of the book. I am wondering if someone could
> >> tell me what they all mean, or point me to a site where I could find
> >> out.
> >>
> >> Thank you,
> >> Tom
> >
> >You need this rule: The symbols mean whatever the author says they mean.
> >Take each one in the context where it is discussed. Somewhere else, the
> >same symbol is very likely to mean something different.
> >
> >Even the venerable PI does not necessarily mean the constant 3.1415...,
> >although that is probably the meaning in the context of the subjects you
> >mentioned.
> >
> >Lynn Killingbeck
> >
> >
> ></pre>
As has been discussed here, the Greek alphabet is well used by
mathematics. I have sometimes wondered why further alphabets have not
been borrowed.
Aleph from the Hebrew is used and seems to have a meaning even more
fixed than pi (but not so well known). But it appears to stop there.
I have not seen beth, gimmel used in maths.
The Russian alphabet would blend in well but I have not seen it used.
Many letters would be hard to distinguish from Latin and Greek but
many other would be usable.
And of course there are many, many more alphabets available.
Even more extreme we could use Chinese and have thousands of symbols
available.
I have also wondered what mathematics in Greek and Russian look like.
Do the Greeks use Latin and Greek letters in a similar way to us Latin
alphabet users? How about the Russians, do they spurn their own
alphabet and use Latin and Greek letters?
J
|
|
