# Question regarding the name of a mathematical symbol **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 3, 2016, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766 "2016-05-03T10:27:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/1 "2016-05-03T10:27:57Z")
> **[Photo Credits from Eric Weisstein's World of Scientific Biography](https://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/photo-credits.html#Newto)** > > Photo Credits from Eric Weisstein's World of Scientific Biography I’m looking for the name of the symbol used in the below text. You have to visit the website to see it. Please see the above link as the symbol didn’t copy . I look forward to your feedback Newton formulated the classical theories of mechanics and optics and invented calculus years before Leibniz. However, he did not publish his work on calculus until afterward Leibniz had published his. This led to a bitter priority dispute between English and continental mathematicians which persisted for decades, to the detriment of all concerned. Newton discovered that the binomial theorem was valid for fractional powers, but left it for Wallis to publish (which he did, with appropriate credit to Newton). Newton formulated a theory of sound, but derived a speed which did not agree with his experiments. The reason for the discrepancy was that the concept of adiabatic propagation did not yet exist, so Newton’s answer was too low by a factor of , where is the ratio of heat capacities of air. Newton therefore fudged his theory until agreement was achieved ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/2 "2016-05-03T10:35:57Z")
The link takes us to a list of photo credits? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/3 "2016-05-03T10:54:31Z")
Are your not looking forward to our feedback? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/4 "2016-05-03T11:05:05Z")
[Corrected link](http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Newton.html). As to the symbol, if you mean Ʃ that’s a capital sigma (the writer is using it as his “reference” symbol, rather than in a mathematical meaning) and if you mean γ that’s a gamma. They’re Greek letters. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/5 "2016-05-03T14:35:37Z")
I’m sorry I thought I gave you the proper link. Yes Nava. it’s a gamma. So how do you express a gamma followed by a raised 1/2. And I really do appreciate the feedback! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/6 "2016-05-03T14:38:59Z")
> [@](#): > > So how do you express a gamma followed by a raised 1/2. As “gamma to the one-half power”. Or “square root of gamma”, if you prefer. The 1/2 is just an exponent. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/7 "2016-05-03T14:42:34Z")
Here’s the link [http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Newton.html](http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Newton.html) ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/8 "2016-05-03T15:18:24Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > As “gamma to the one-half power”. Or “square root of gamma”, if you prefer. The 1/2 is just an exponent. “The square root of the ratio of heat capacities of air” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/9 "2016-05-03T18:16:08Z")
To be extra clear, that is a lower case gamma. The upper case gamma looks like this: Γ Gamma being the 3rd letter of the Greek alphabet. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/10 "2016-05-03T18:19:48Z")
Is OP simply asking how to include the symbols “gamma exponent one half” in a text post? Here are the characters for doing that: γ[sup]½[/sup] That is: [noparse]γ[sup]½[/sup][/noparse] ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/11 "2016-05-03T21:24:38Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Is OP simply asking how to include the symbols “gamma exponent one half” in a text post? > > Here are the characters for doing that: > > γ[sup]½[/sup] > > That is: > [noparse]γ[sup]½[/sup][/noparse] Thanks Senegoid. Very useful. Thank you all. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-regarding-the-name-of-a-mathematical-symbol/753766/12 "2016-05-03T21:30:58Z")
I’ve eaten gamma root. It tastes like rhubarb.