Comments on: Textbooks and Notations, I http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/ Much study is a wariness of the flash. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:45:00 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: jd2718 http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-829 jd2718 Sun, 13 Apr 2008 19:09:23 +0000 http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-829 Ah, I remember you giving me a hard time about similar abuse in a probability quiz... I must have missed this post originally... My goal is and remains to get kids to use the precise symbols, but I add, eventually. Oftentimes some transition is necessary. My little defn of subset, how can I not write "for all" in English (without losing my students)? That being said, they eat up the new symbols, but in measured doses. Ah, I remember you giving me a hard time about similar abuse in a probability quiz… I must have missed this post originally… My goal is and remains to get kids to use the precise symbols, but I add, eventually. Oftentimes some transition is necessary.

My little defn of subset, how can I not write “for all” in English (without losing my students)?

That being said, they eat up the new symbols, but in measured doses.

]]> By: Myrtle http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-171 Myrtle Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:29:36 +0000 http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-171 It's because, you know, natural language is so much more precise than all those symbols. And when natural language is too hard, you can always refer to a picture. It’s because, you know, natural language is so much more precise than all those symbols.

And when natural language is too hard, you can always refer to a picture.

]]> By: vlorbik http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-142 vlorbik Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:50:07 +0000 http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-142 but, zac -- it's not just now and then; they do it throughout the entire presentation! presumably, students are expected to work this way, too ... which is a big part of my objection. and <I>of course</I> i have no objection to "wedge"s (or "ampersands")! just don't ask me to write out the <I>words</I> over and over! avoiding this is what notations are <I>for</I>! but, zac — it’s not just now and then;
they do it throughout the entire presentation!
presumably, students are expected to work
this way, too … which is a big part of my objection.

and of course i have no objection to
“wedge”s (or “ampersands”)! just don’t ask me
to write out the words over and over!
avoiding this is what notations are for!

]]> By: JK http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-8 JK Sun, 17 Jun 2007 14:41:28 +0000 http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-8 What's wrong with writing P(A and B) when A and B are events? For what it's worth, you should know that this is the standard in theoretical computer science (my field) -- actually, the standard is more like Pr[A ^ B] where ^ is supposed to represent logical and (\wedge in latex). What’s wrong with writing P(A and B) when A and B are events? For what it’s worth, you should know that this is the standard in theoretical computer science (my field) — actually, the standard is more like
Pr[A ^ B]
where ^ is supposed to represent logical and (\wedge in latex).

]]> By: Zac http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-7 Zac Sun, 17 Jun 2007 13:32:17 +0000 http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-7 Shouldn't that be "4 plus 5", which is not exactly the same concept as "4 and 5" ? :-) OK, I'll just go point and grunt... My objection is to <a href="http://www.squarecirclez.com/blog/towards-more-meaningful-math-notation/661" rel="nofollow">inconsistent algebra notation</a>, not algebra per se. I don't have any problem with spelling out the meaning of the awful notation every now and then. It's like acronyms - those who use them all the time are comfortable, those who are new get very lost. Shouldn’t that be “4 plus 5″, which is not exactly the same concept as “4 and 5″ ? :-) OK, I’ll just go point and grunt…

My objection is to inconsistent algebra notation, not algebra per se.

I don’t have any problem with spelling out the meaning of the awful notation every now and then. It’s like acronyms – those who use them all the time are comfortable, those who are new get very lost.

]]> By: Maya Incaand http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-6 Maya Incaand Fri, 15 Jun 2007 18:22:59 +0000 http://vlorbik.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/textbooks-and-notations/#comment-6 P means "Proposition" where I come from. As for "and" I quite like "&". Just kidding. P means “Proposition” where I come from.

As for “and” I quite like “&”.

Just kidding.

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