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I think it's a lot less beautiful. I think it has to do more with historical accidents. We've stumbled our way forward in mathematics; there is no grand plan th

I think it's a lot less beautiful. I think it has to do more with historical accidents. We've stumbled our way forward in mathematics; there is no grand plan that unifies our notation. Just look at calculus for a prime example - df/dx and f'(x) come from two different lineages and get used interchangeably; the df/dx notation can be intensely misleading when students think that (for example) they should be able to use normal fraction rules.

abdullahkhalids 6y ago
Of course, there is no grand plan, and yes, a lot of notation is historical accidents. But my point is that attempting to "fix" it will probably yield a better notation, but not the "perfect" notation. As an aside, df/dx treated a fraction is used as soon as second or third semester of uni when they learn how to solve differential equations using separation of variables, and physicists/chemists start using total derivatives for thermodynamics. I am not aware of notation different from df/dx where these subjects would be just as clear.