4 ms·
A lot of times mathematical notation use domain specific naming conventions for they variables and each the tradition is a leftover from a time when you had to
by crest 3y ago
A lot of times mathematical notation use domain specific naming conventions for they variables and each the tradition is a leftover from a time when you had to write the whole line (by hand) for every step you wrote down and only a few name variables. Take a look code at the other extreme can you imagine writing down verbose Java code line by line using quill and ink? I don't even want to read such a low entropy highly redundant "notation" on a 34" 8k screen. The only way to navigate it is through load bearing IDEs.
- niemandhier 3y agoYes! When writing down the equations you use a form that docks to the right points in the mental model space of your audience. In the end the symbols on the paper are just a way to guide the reader to his own understanding of the underlying mathematical truth. I bet most of us do not even think about that. Rho is a density, n is a natural number, epsilon is small, delta a perturbation …
- _dain_ 3y ago>Take a look code at the other extreme can you imagine writing down verbose Java code line by line using quill and ink? Not Java, but I have done productive brainstorming sessions where I handwrite Python or R onto paper, to figure out some kind of tricky problem or algorithm. Syntactically correct and indented too. It's not hard to handwrite code at all. Plus my "comments" can have arrows and diagrams and doodles and anything I like.
- magicalhippo 3y ago> can you imagine writing down verbose Java code line by line using quill and ink? Not quill and ink, but I took several programming exams at uni, where we had to write the answers, including pages worth of Java code with pen on three-layer carbonless copy paper... This was just 15 years ago.