Mathematical Greek Alphanumeric Symbols

From: Hans Aberg (haberg@math.su.se)
Date: Sat May 14 2005 - 07:36:48 CDT

  • Next message: Hans Aberg: "Re: Mathematical Greek Alphanumeric Symbols"

    The Greek letters, relative the Latin ones, in the Mathematical
    Alphanumeric Symbols, seem incomplete. The Latin letters exist in the
    following forms:
       <none>
       MATHEMATICAL BOLD
       MATHEMATICAL ITALIC
       MATHEMATICAL BOLD ITALIC
       MATHEMATICAL SANS-SERIF
       MATHEMATICAL SANS-SERIF BOLD
       MATHEMATICAL SANS-SERIF ITALIC
       MATHEMATICAL SANS-SERIF BOLD ITALIC
    whereas the Greek letters only have
       <none>
       MATHEMATICAL BOLD
       MATHEMATICAL ITALIC
       MATHEMATICAL BOLD ITALIC
       MATHEMATICAL SANS-SERIF BOLD
       MATHEMATICAL SANS-SERIF BOLD ITALIC
    apparently missing the forms:
       MATHEMATICAL SANS-SERIF
       MATHEMATICAL SANS-SERIF ITALIC

    I should say that in traditional math, I think that that only the
    following forms are necessary:
       <none>
       MATHEMATICAL BOLD
       MATHEMATICAL ITALIC
       MATHEMATICAL BOLD ITALIC
    all traditionally typeset having serifs. One possible pure math usage
    might be that non-ITALIC (i.e., not slanted) forms are used for
    constants, ITALIC forms for variables; BOLD forms to indicate
    multi-component forms (such as vectors), as opposed to the non-bold
    single component objects. There is no point to discuss the very
    varied actual math usage here, which depends on tradition which in
    its turn depends on pats availability of glyphs, and different
    communities, such as engineers, would do it differently, different
    groups having incompatible practises.

    But it means that all forms needed in math already are present, but
    the Latin letters got some extra forms that are seemingly absent in
    the Greek forms. 

    -- 
   Hans Aberg

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